


From Blue Sky

by h_itoshi



Category: Hey! Say! JUMP
Genre: Alternate Universe, And a movie which I won't admit to ripping the plot from until someone calls me on it, I can't believe I'm posting this I started 2 years ago lol, I made Chinen 11 years old, January is chapterfic month, Main inspiration is Mayonaka no Shadow Boy PV, Minor Character Death, Other, Rated for depictions of violence mostly, Which is kind of important for the plot, long tags are long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-09-19 13:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 55,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9443933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/h_itoshi/pseuds/h_itoshi
Summary: "He's a cute boy, isn't he?" Takaki says, his voice dangerously low as his eyes follow the young boy, probably around ten years old, walking next to his classy mother and seemingly trying to nag her into something. "I think he'd be even cuter lying at my feet with his throat sliced."(It's not as nasty as the summary makes it seem. It was just the best summary sentence)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by the Mayonaka no Shadow boy PV and a movie which I won't admit to ripping the plot from until someone calls me on it. I love the atmosphere of the PV and wanted to write something similar to it, and I've had this plot lying around for years, so I thought it was finally time. I'm planning on posting twice a week if you want to stick around~  
> This is also, worth mentioning, my first ever jpop fic not revolving around pairings haha.

Yamada feels rather than sees Takaki shift his weight as he inhales smoke from his cigarette, but he barely spares his leader a glance before returning his focus to the family across the street, taking in everything there is to see about them.

"He's a cute boy, isn't he?" Takaki says, his voice dangerously low as his eyes follow the young boy, probably around ten years old, walking next to his classy mother and seemingly trying to nag her into something.

"Sure." Yamada agrees even though he couldn't give a shit, and takes another drag of his own cigarette.

"I think he'd be even cuter lying at my feet with his throat sliced." Takaki muses, and Yamada can't help but smirk, setting a hand on his hip and brushes against the heavy mass of his gun under his thick leather jacket.

"Maybe he would be." He agrees with a light tone.

"Especially after his father comes to save him and I kill the boy before his eyes." Takaki goes on, eyes hardening, and Yamada glances around, but there's no one close enough to hear him. "Since his father got half of our men killed, it'll be a perfect revenge."

Yamada clenches his jaw at the memory, anger rushing through his veins. He can still see it at night, the dead faces of his comrades, friends, and he would give anything to avenge them. Killing a child doesn't bother him if that's what it takes.

"Tonight." Takaki exhales the word softly along with some smoke, and turns to look at Yamada, his dark eyes cold as ice and his soft brown hair looks out of place paired with that look. "I want him alive."

"I know." Yamada replies, and he knows that if he fails, there will be no mercy for him.

 

~*~

 

Hikaru yawns as he wakes up in a shabby hotel room with a horrendous brown flower pattern on the walls. It's light outside, so he blinks and sits up, yawning even more. “Hey Inoo-chan? Could you-”

He pauses to yawn again, but there no response to his unfinished question, and when he looks over at the double bed, it's empty.

“Inoo-chan? Keito?” Hikaru asks, louder, but there's still no reply. He rises from the couch he was delegated to, wincing and raising a hand to rub his neck, rolling his shoulders to ease out the tension.

He looks at the tangle of sheets, and sighs as his eyes wander to the empty floor beside the bed where there were bags yesterday.

“They left without me, huh.” He says to himself and pouts a little. Then he figures that at least he can have the bed now. He flops across the unmade bed, sighing at how much softer it is than the couch, and goes back to sleep for another few hours.

When he wakes back up, it's from someone banging on the door. “Hey, open up! Check-out time has passed!”

Hikaru's eyes fly open and he sits up too fast, making his world spin for a second.

“Sorry!” He calls, and his voice is a little sleep-slurred as he gets to his feet and stumbles to the door to open it. Outside is an angry-looking man who's much shorter than Hikaru, a cleaning trolley next to him, and his eyes harden suspiciously as Hikaru gives what feels like a dorky smile.

“I'll just get my things.” Hikaru says after a short silence where the man only crosses his arms and keeps glaring, and then heads back into the room to pick up his jacket and scarf. “Done!”

He scoots out the door, past the cleaning-man, and shrugs his jacket on as he heads down the old corridor, humming quietly to himself.

He wraps the checked scarf around his neck and glances out the poorly cleaned window as he descends the stairs, then gets a hand in his hair to try and tame the fluff of blonde pillow-hair into something similar to a hairstyle.

He easily walks past the reception desk and whistles as he steps out into the sun. Who cares Inoo and Keito left without him. He'll just have to catch up with them. But first, he needs to find something to eat because being left alone really makes him hungry.

 

~*~

 

It's not that Yabu doesn't like people. He just prefers not to interact with them.

He sits down on a bench next to the river, looking out over the water and sighing in relief at the fact that he's alone. There's been enough bothersome people to deal with today, and once he's done with this financial crap, he's going straight back home to his house and his cat.

He should never have let his old friend lure him into this job, he hates being formal and hates having to negotiate around with people who clearly won't change their minds. Negotiation has never been his strong side. He undoes the cuffs of his shirt and absentmindedly brushes the tiny dark kanjis for ivory right over the pulse point on his wrist, then undoes his tie and tugs it off, tucking it into his bag that is more suited for a short weekend trip than a business meeting.

It's a cute town, Yabu thinks, pretty enough in its simplicity that he might actually go on a weekend trip here.

He fishes a chocolate bar out of the outer pocket of his bag, unwrapping it while watching a few autumn leaves float down from the tree behind him and onto the gravelled path his feet are resting on.

It's not too cold yet either, the sun of early October still warming enough that there's no need for a jacket when just being outside for a little while. Yabu eats his chocolate quietly, enjoying the scenery and some peace to the fullest, before glancing at his watch.

It's 6:30 pm and he should probably think about going back to his hotel, grab dinner and read his book.

He takes his bag and rises, thinking that it's getting a little chillier now, and starts heading back.

 

~*~

 

“Nonono, that's not it at all!”

A voice that sounds nervous and joking catches Yabu's attention as he passes a café with some outdoor seats, and he turns to look. The voice belongs to a blonde man with a checked scarf and messy hair, and he's standing outside the open door to the café, faced with two big guys in aprons and a cute girl trying to get the attention of the tallest of the two.

“I didn't steal anything, I promise!” The blonde man assures, waving his hands for emphasis. “I was just hungry and your sweet Nana-chan here offered me something to eat, that's all, I swear!”

“She doesn't have the right to offer free food.” The tallest guy who looks most intimidating growls and shrugs off the girl who's clearly trying to explain her version of whatever happened. “And _you._ Shouldn't seduce innocent girls to get it.”

“I have _not_ seduced anyone!” The blonde man protests, taking a step back as the other, shorter man takes a threatening step towards him. “In fact, I'm insulted you would even accuse me of that!”

There's something about him, Yabu thinks, how he grins to try and ease the tension even though he's clearly in trouble, that makes Yabu stop to see where this is going. Just probably a little too close to the scene, since the blonde man catches sight of him and slowly moves closer.

“He didn't, really!” The girl desperately manages to get a word in even though the two big guys clearly aren't listening to her. “He didn't have any money and I gave him something to eat, he told me everything about why he didn't have money and it's horrible!”

“See, definitely no seduction involved!” The blonde insists, and suddenly there's a hand around Yabu's upper arm and he's dragged before the two big guys. “See, this gentleman seems trustworthy, doesn't he? Dear Mr. Gentleman, would you say I look like someone who seduces innocent girls for food?”

Yabu raises an eyebrow and then shrugs the blonde off and glares at him. The blonde just smiles helpfully, and it makes Yabu frown, because he does look like a nice guy, honest expression and a joking aura, but this has nothing to do with Yabu.

He turns to the two big guys instead, taking on his business tone. “What's the matter?”

“This thieving bastard here tried to leave without paying, claims he's been offered food for free, which we don't serve.” The tall guy growls, not taking his eyes off the blonde who grins nervously and takes another step closer to Yabu. “Claims he has no money.”

“I don't, really.” The blonde whispers loudly enough for everyone to hear it. “Save me, I don't want to die.”

The girl makes a whining sound at that and tugs at the big guy's sleeve. “He didn't do anything!”

“Shut up.” The shorter of the two mutters, clearly sick of the waitress' protests by now. “If he'll just come with us we'll sort this out.”

“I'd rather not.” The blonde says quickly, grabbing onto Yabu's arm and Yabu shrugs him off again, really uncomfortable with the invasion of his personal space.

“How much money does this revolve around?” He asks, and if his voice is snappy it's because he's sick of this argument that he has nothing to do with.

“600 yen.” The shorter of the two says, glaring at the blonde who tries to hide behind Yabu.

Yabu knows he probably shouldn't, but this is ridiculous and he just wants to get out of it, and so he fishes out his wallet and finds a 1000 yen bill which he hands to the tall guy, who wide-eyed accepts it. “Keep the change.”

Yabu ignores the stunned looks on the two previously angry faces, and turns to continue his walk back to his hotel.

“Told you he was a gentleman, huh?” He hears the blonde's satisfied grin behind him and tries to tune it out, but then that voice is suddenly a lot closer and there's a hand on his shoulder. “Hey hey, wait, thank you so much, wow, thank you.”

“Don't touch me.” Yabu says sharply, and the hand disappears, but instead the blonde falls into step with him.

“You're not very nice for being so nice, are you?” The blonde says, looking thoughtful. “I'm Hikaru, who are you?”

Yabu sends him a glare that would convey his intense wish to be left alone to anyone sensible, but Hikaru just keeps walking with him, grinning.

“Come on, you have a name, right?” He encourages, and Yabu sends him another long glare, but he doesn't budge.

“Yabu.” He says finally, because he's not that informal that he only gives his first name.

“Yabu?” Hikaru repeats, trying it out. “Nah, that's pretty boring, can I call you Yabu-chan?”

“ _No_.” Yabu says firmly and stops for a traffic light, trying to ignore Hikaru's presence.

“So Yabu-chan, you really did me a favour there, and I shall follow you until I've returned it!” Hikaru cheerfully announces, making him impossible to ignore.

“There is really no need, leaving me alone would be doing me a favour.” Yabu says clearly and turns to look at Hikaru closely, because maybe he's too stupid to understand.

“Oh there's no trouble at all, you see, my friends left without me with my things, so I kinda don't have anything better to do.” Hikaru smiles, showing off teeth that should probably have had braces when he was younger. “Ohh, you have really pretty eyes, you know that?”

Yabu just rolls said eyes and heads over the crossing when the light turns green, thinking about how he'll get rid of this unexpected company while Hikaru rambles on about anything and everything, and Yabu figures that he'll just try to ignore him and hope he goes away.

 

~*~

 

They wait for the father to leave. They know when his taxi's arriving and when his plane leaves, when he arrives in Tokyo and when his important meeting starts the next morning.

He's on a high post within the security police, the one responsible for exterminating gang business in Tokyo, and he's very hard-working and vigorous about his task. A little too vigorous.

Yamada remembers crystal clear how he found himself shoved against a concrete wall with a cold gun pressed up under his jaw by a man with a bulletproof vest and crazy eyes, calling him the filth of society and declared that their chief had clearly instructed that all of his kind were to be killed rather than sent to a court.

Luckily Yuto'd saved him with a well placed shot, but the killer instinct in those eyes, just like many others, could only be conjured by a passionate leader.

"Isn't it time soon?" Yuto mutters impatiently, rising from the rock he's been sitting on and starts pacing for about the fifth time.

"No." Yamada tells him quietly, and glances at Takaki who's stood still in his place for more than an hour, just watching the house from the shadows of the forest they're hidden in.

"Soon." Takaki says, and Yuto sighs, muttering a few words about how badly he wants to kill that son of a bitch, before sitting down again. Daiki eyes him with a raised eyebrow, unimpressed, and then turns his focus back to the house. It'll be a long night.

Eventually, the taxi arrives, and everything is set in motion. The father disappears into the taxi with his bags and a bodyguard, leaving two bodyguards for his family.

"We'll take them down easily." Yuto smirks, leaning on Yamada's shoulder and pretty much whispers in his ear, breath hot on his skin. "So you can do your thing."

Yamada shrugs him off with a grimace, too focused to deal with any of Yuto's antics right now. "Shut up."

"Don't be so snappy, Yama-chan." Yuto pouts, but leaves him be. He knows how much depends on this for Yamada after all.

The whole thing is swift once Takaki finally gives a signal that it's time.

Daiki smashes a window and Yuto breaks in the door, guns pointed the second they're faced with the bodyguards, but Yamada can hardly hear the screaming over his heart pounding in his ears. He's behind Yuto, gun drawn and held steady in his slightly sweaty hands, adrenaline rushing through his body into every vein as he gets a glimpse of the scene over Yuto's shoulder.

Shattered glass on the floor along with a crushed mug of what looks like hot chocolate, it's content splashed over the carpet Takaki stands on, gun aimed at the bodyguard on his two-way radio, and they already know there are others just minutes away. Yamada can't see Daiki, but he hears the mother shriek and something thump to the floor, and Yamada grins, staying behind Yuto as planned, ready for when the reinforcements arrive, and turns to look into the night.

There's yelling and sounds of things smashing behind him, but no gunshots, and Yamada doesn't turn to look again, keeps his eyes trained on the darkness outside the house, on the shadows from the few streetlights, ready to shoot if anything moves while waiting for his cue.

He trusts Yuto not to let anyone get him from behind, and he patiently does what he's supposed to even as the first shot rings loudly through the house and there's another female shriek, and Yamada hears Yuto curse.

The seconds feel like ages, and Yamada swallows, not seeing a single thing move on the street before him, not in the neighbouring house or the bushes around and he tries to keep his body from shaking with the overflow of fighting hormones.

Then Yuto elbows his back, hard, hissing loudly. “Go, go, eleven o'clock!”

Yamada doesn't miss a beat before rushing from the front porch he'd been standing on, not even turning to look at what's going on inside as he hears another shot go off, just jumping over the railing and down onto the lawn.

He stops for a second, orientating himself quickly in the direction Yuto'd told him, and easily catches the movement of figures running away into the woods on the other side of the street.

He quickly goes after, jumping over the fence framing the garden to run across the street in pursuit, and he hears sirens in the distance as he reaches the woods.

He sends his comrades a thought, but that's all he spares them as he sees the figures before him. He smirks despite his heaving breath, knowing that the path they're on only leads down to the river and they'll be trapped. The two figures have quite a headstart, but they're slow since one isn't very tall or fast, and Yamada's catching up with them slowly.

When he sees the trees part and gets a glimpse of the river, he's only a few dozens of metres behind and when the mother turns around and notices him, he can distinguish the panic on her face as she tugs her son along faster.

It's just that it doesn't work.

Just as they reach the riverside, the son collapses to the ground, and the mother helplessly screams for him to get up, tugs at his arms and is about to lift him when Yamada finally catches up with them.

He stops a few metres from her and tugs his gun out, keeping it steady even though his chest is heaving from the run. “Let him go.”

The mother looks up at him from where she's kneeling in the mud in her fancy beige trousers, eyes pleading and tears black-lined with mascara is drying on her cheeks, hair blowing into her face and sticks in the trails of salt.

She doesn't answer, but she doesn't let go of her son either, hands clutching desperately to the small upper arms where she's got him half-sitting, his head hanging to the side, clearly unconscious.

“I said. Let him go.” Yamada says again now that his voice is more stable, and steps closer, making sure she knows it's a threat.

She keeps looking at him, and shakes her head slowly, tugging the boy closer to her chest. “No.”

Yamada's voice hardens, because he doesn't have the whole goddamned night. “Let him go or I'll pry him from your dead hands.”

She gasps, but that's her only reaction, and she looks around like she thinks someone's going to miraculously save them.

“There's nowhere to run.” Yamada says coldly, a small smirk touching his lips since she's only two metres from the high current river and the area is secluded, no one around to see them.

She seems to see the truth in his statement, and she tugs the boy even closer to her chest and slowly rises, looking Yamada straight in the eyes while doing so.

“I'll never give him up.” She says firmly, and her eyes has a certain determination to them. It takes Yamada a split-second too long to realize why.

“NO!” He yells, and fires a shot at her just as she takes a leap towards the water, and then there's a splash followed by a gurgling sound as both she and her son disappear in the currents of the river. Yamada rushes to the riverside, but he can't see anything besides whirls of quickly running water and some bloodstains on the rocks he stands on. They're gone.

“ _Fuck_!” He yells out loud and kicks a rock so hard he screams again.

Takaki's going to have his head.

 

~*~

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

The look in Takaki's eyes when Yamada confesses what happened is much more ill-boding than if he'd yelled, hit him, or in any way reacted. The look says that he's disappointed and furious enough not to care about what he does to Yamada.

Yamada doesn't dare look away from the dark eyes fixed on him, but he hears Yuto's uneasy intake of breath and sees Daiki shift at the corner of his eye. They care for him, but nobody questions Takaki's decisions.

“You're worthless.” Takaki finally speaks, his voice so low Yamada wouldn't have heard him if there wasn't only silent darkness around them. “Did you kill him?”

Yamada shakes his head and casts Yuto and Daiki a glance. Daiki's got blood stains on his shirt and a splatter over his cheek, and Yuto looks a little pale, but okay. “I only hit her.”

“Then find him, and bring his body to me. Dead or alive, just bring him.” Takaki growls, and Yamada swallows to keep in his shaky sigh of relief. One more chance. He can't screw up.

“I will find him.” He says, voice as steady as he can get it, and Takaki's eyes narrow, trying to see through him, but Yamada keeps his face neutral. “I'll bring him to you.”

“You better.” Takaki agrees, voice threateningly deep and low, but he reaches into his jacket for a gun that he pushes against Yamada's chest. “We're heading back to Tokyo. Don't take too long.”

Yamada nods and accepts the gun, before he turns and leaves his comrades once again to head back towards the river, knowing that if he doesn't find the boy's body, he might as well use the gun to shoot himself.

 

~*~

 

When Yabu exits his hotel room for an evening walk after a few hours of doing practically nothing, Hikaru's sleeping in sitting position on the floor outside his door.

Yabu stares at him, frozen in the motion of wrapping a scarf around his neck, because he was so certain the man had left long ago. Hikaru had followed him to his hotel, chattering about himself and asking Yabu questions that he grumpily answered, and he didn't shut up until Yabu reached his hotel room, firmly telling him goodbye and closing the door in his face.

He'd heard Hikaru's goodbye through the door, and of course figured that he'd run off to bug someone else. And so, he stares down at the blonde man where he sits leaning against the wall, arms loosely wrapped around his drawn up knees and head lulled to the side, that yellow and orange checked scarf tugged up to his nose.

Yabu goes through the past couple hours in his head, how he's taken a shower, watched the news, had dinner brought up, and read five chapters in his book. He glances at his watch, seeing that it's 10:30 pm and he feels a little guilty for Hikaru's sake even though he makes a face at himself for it.

He nudges the man with his foot, because he can't let him sit there all night. “Hey.”

Hikaru mumbles something incoherent and shifts a little, so Yabu nudges him again, a little firmer. “Hey!”

Hikaru's eyes fly open, and he looks bewildered and almost a little cute, like a ruffled baby bird or something with his disorientated look and pink cheeks. “What?”

“What are you doing here?” Yabu asks, voice firm, and Hikaru blinks and yawns, looking around to see where he is.

“Oh.” He says, voice still a little heavy with sleep. “I was waiting for you.”

“Why.” Yabu says, mouth pinching in discomfort.

Hikaru just shrugs and stretches a little, pulling his scarf down enough for his whole face to show as he looks up at Yabu once. “Are you going out?”

“I'm going for a walk.” Yabu answers, tone short, but Hikaru lights up and starts shuffling on the floor.

“Great, I'll come with you!” He says happily, and Yabu just breathes a short sigh through his nose, still having that unwelcome guilty feeling that keeps him from just telling Hikaru off.

“Whatever.” He finally says and starts walking towards the elevator while buttoning his jacket.

He hears Hikaru get up and follo, his light steps hurrying after him as he steps into the elevator.

“That's a classy jacket.” Hikaru comments as Yabu finishes the last button and the elevator door closes behind them.

Yabu frowns at him, not sure what he's supposed to answer to that, and so ends up with nothing.

Hikaru just frowns back, clearly trying to imitate Yabu's expression. “You don't talk much, do you?”

“Not really.” Yabu agrees.

“Aren't you a business man? You look like one. They talk, don't they?” Hikaru goes on, looking around the elevator as they descend, and jerks when he sees himself in a slim mirror, hands immediately going to his messy hair.

“I'm not really a business man.” Yabu makes a face at the label he just got, and Hikaru glances at him through the mirror, tilting his head in question while sorting out his bangs.

“No? What are you then?”

Yabu shrugs as the elevator chimes and the doors open on the ground floor. “Not a business man.”

“Oh. Okay.” Hikaru shrugs, easily agreeable, and hurries to follow him when he leaves the elevator. “I'm not one either, so I guess we fit perfectly together!”

“No, we don't.” Yabu says clearly as he heads for the door and towards the chilly night air.

“Yes we do.” Hikaru insists. “You're way too negative about things, are you depressed?”

“No.” Yabu answers tiredly, folding up his collar around his scarf to protect himself from the cold wind.

“I think you are, that's why you don't eat enough.” Hikaru says wisely, sticking his nose into his big scarf again, and Yabu frowns, turning to glare at him.

“I eat enough!” He says, raising his voice because hell, what's wrong with his weight? He doesn't think anyone has actually commented on that before.

“Oh please Yabu-chan, you're taller than me and thin like a stick.” Hikaru says simply, and Yabu's eyes narrow both at the unwanted nickname and the implications.

They walk down to the river and continue along it, the night cold and quiet as they bicker for a while, and then Hikaru keeps talking about nothing while Yabu listens or gives the occasional snide remark when he says something stupid.

Mostly he enjoys how the scenery changes as they get out of the centre of town towards the more suburban areas, and when they reach what seems to be an industrial area, Yabu is just about to tell Hikaru they're going back now when he sees something that subconsciously catches his interest.

There's something on the tiny shore by the river a little further away, what looks like two dark lumps, and he just considers if maybe they are some kind of rocks, when one of them moves.

He stops, alarmed, since whatever that is he probably shouldn't get involved. Hikaru takes another few steps, but then cuts off in his ramble about a candy brand and turns to look at Yabu, confused. “Yabu-chan?”

Yabu doesn't answer, simply watches as the lump that had moved moves again, and he's pretty sure he sees an arm stretch out towards the other, smaller one. His eyes narrow, and he's just about to turn on his heel when Hikaru yelps after having followed Yabu's gaze.

“Oh my god!” He says, and then grabs Yabu's wrist and tugs him towards the objects Yabu would rather avoid, hissing what Yabu suspected from the first second. “That's people!”

“Yes.” Yabu says, and tries to tug Hikaru back but he can't, reluctantly thinking that Hikaru may have a point that he's too thin. “We shouldn't bother.”

“What, are you crazy, we have to help them!” Hikaru insists without even turning to look at Yabu, and lets go of him to hurry down the slope to the shoreline.

Yabu hesitates for a moment, before figuring that if the authorities would find Hikaru and ask questions, he'd definitely tell that Yabu was there too, and that inevitably makes him slowly follow Hikaru down. When he gets closer, he sees that the smaller lump is an unconscious boy, probably around ten years old and curled into an unnatural position, hair plastered to his face and clothes dark with water. The moving one is a woman, long hair in wet tangles around her face, and she's only halfway up from the water. It's easy to tell why when Yabu sees the red dark stains on her bright jacket, covering almost the entire back and she can't seem to move one of her arms.

Hikaru's kneeling beside her, asking how she is and what happened and what's going on, questions rambling out of him while his bloodstained hands shake as he tries to help her out of the water and stop the bleeding at the same time.

She makes small noises that's not words but could be attempts at it, and keeps looking at the boy almost desperately, using her working arm to try and crawl towards him.

Yabu stops a metre away from them, thinking that this definitely means trouble. But then the woman looks up, seeming not to even see Hikaru, and her eyes are panicked, urgent, and Yabu's heart almost stops for a moment, bringing up memories he'd rather forget. But then she averts her eyes again, back to the boy, her free hand clawing into the gravelly dirt to try and drag herself towards him, but she's so weak she can't do it, and Hikaru's too upset to understand what she's trying to do.

Yabu hesitates for a second, before he kneels down next to the boy and touches his pulse point, wincing a little at the cold skin, but feels heartbeats. He moves his hand, holds it gingerly under his nose, brushing the small cold lips that border on blue, but he feels breath too and turns to look at the woman, who watches him with horrified eyes, and now that Yabu sees her up close, he thinks that this might be the last answer she ever gets.

Yabu nods slowly, and she visibly relaxes, her hand in the dirt going slack and her eyes fall closed.

“Hey? Hey! Are you okay?” Hikaru asks, panic in his voice as he shakes her unhurt shoulder when he feels her relax, trying to stop her bleeding with his jacket, and it's soaked with red while his hands and pants are bloodstained.

Yabu doesn't say anything, but turns to the boy instead, quietly thinking that he's seen enough people die, he doesn't need to see another.

He brushes the boy's dark hair out of his face, and he curses quietly when he feels how cold the child really is, and makes an effort to lift his head from the ground, dirt stuck on his cheek and in his hair, and starts tugging off the small soaked jacket.

“Ehm... Yabu-chan...” Hikaru's voice is a little shaky, quiet enough for Yabu to hear the sounds of the running river, the low sighs of the cold night wind and the buzzing from a lonely streetlight. “I think she's dead.”

Yabu twists a small arm out of a sleeve before answering. “Yes, I think so too.”

“What happened here?” Hikaru asks, and his voice is so fragile Yabu has to turn and look at him. For as bubbly and annoying as Hikaru's been up until now, his face shocks Yabu, serious, pale, blood on his hands and stains all the way up to his elbows. “Is he okay?”

Yabu looks back down at the boy. “He's cold. He probably won't make it much longer.”

“Yes he will.” Hikaru says, and his voice now is fierce as he takes his jacket from the woman's shoulder and rises. “We can't let him die.”

Yabu tugs off the other sleeve of the little jacket, dropping it aside and rises as well. “He's not our responsibility.”

“I don't care, I won't let him die.” Hikaru says stubbornly, and Yabu can't help but be fascinated by his determination, which he would not have thought was there until now.

“Then you take him.” Yabu says calmly, and steps aside from the boy on the ground.

Hikaru gives him a glare that almost burns. “You're not going to help? You don't care?”

“He won't make it much longer anyway, and this has nothing to do with me.” Yabu explains, gaze trailing from the boy to the dead woman, lingering on the blood on her clothes. “It's hardly a good idea to get involved.”

“... Fine.” Hikaru says, and then drops to his knees before the boy. He tries to wipe the blood from his hands on his jeans before he grabs the boy's shoulders and hoists him up enough that he's sitting, head falling limply onto Hikaru's shoulder, against his scarf. “Then I'll do it myself. I'm taking him to a hospital.”

Yabu crosses his arms and watches, a lot of feelings he doesn't like threatening to bubble to the surface within him as he watches Hikaru struggle to lift the boy properly. “You should just leave him, you don't even know who he is.”

“He's a child.” Hikaru says, simply. “He shouldn't have to die because some selfish bastards didn't help when they could.”

Yabu's mouth pinches at the jibe, and he sighs, trying to brace himself against the guilt that Hikaru seems to be able to evoke in him. After watching Hikaru trying to get the boy up but slip and almost drop him, Yabu sighs in defeat.

“Fine. Only to the hospital. You're making him bloody.” He grumbles and crouches to help.

 

~*~

 

Yamada hears his heart in his ears as he hurries along the river, carefully watching the movement and direction of the current to make sure he's on the side where something would float ashore.

He's moving quickly, but tries not to look too suspicious in case someone would see him. He knows there are policemen all around, looking for the same people he does, and he has to find them first.

He keeps cursing himself for fucking up so badly, but has to push the thoughts away, trying to focus all his energy on just _finding them._

He's gotten far down enough that he's starting to lose hope, wondering if he'll have to follow the river all night since he's already reached the outskirts of the city, a dark industrial area with a few lonely streetlights, when his heart almost stops.

The first thing he sees is two people, one crouching and the other standing, a small body on the ground between them and another, larger at the water's edge, and he immediately thinks they're policemen. But he doesn't stop moving towards them, only slows his steps, and when he continues watching them, he's convinced they're not. Instead, they seem to argue, voices carrying words Yamada can't separate yet through the cold night, and he relaxes a little. If they're not police, he can make them hand over the boy.

The standing figure, seemingly a tall man, leans down as well, and Yamada raises a hand to brush his bangs from his eyes, correcting his own gun under his jacket in case he'd need it, and strolls towards the two.

He hears their conversation now, and he can't help but wonder who they are.

“Let's just get this over with.” The taller, slim one says, sounding stressed, but the other doesn't seem to listen to him, busy doing something on the boy's chest. “How do we even leave him at a hospital like this, look at you, how will you explain that?”

Yamada glances at the concentrated man, noting his blonde messy hair, but then sees the blood he's got all over his clothes.

“He's injured, I carried him.” The blonde says, and Yamada frowns, worry clutching at his heart because he's so certain he didn't hit the boy, but if he's hurt, he's definitely in trouble.

“He's not though.” The taller says, and Yamada relaxes. “Besides, we don't even know who he is or where he comes from.”

Yamada's close enough to be heard now, but the two seem caught up in their argument and doesn't listen for sounds like soft footsteps, and he can't help but smirk as he leaves the asphalt of the road and steps onto the gravelly shore.

“He's Chinen Yuri.” Yamada says, loud enough for the two men to jerk, and he notices how the tall one makes a quick, automatic motion with his hand that Yamada would recognize anywhere, but nothing happens as the man stops it halfway through. “You might know who his father is.”

“Who are you?” The tall one asks, brown bangs hanging into his angular face and his eyes are narrowed in suspicion.

“Does it matter?” Yamada tilts his head, stepping closer as he keeps his eyes fixed on the tall one and his hands in his pockets.

“Yes.” The tall one says, glaring back and Yamada puts on an innocent face.

“Do you know him?” The blonde asks, not at all as suspicious as the taller, on his knees on the ground and keeping the boy in a sitting position.

“... Not personally.” Yamada admits, thinking hard about how he could make these guys just leave. “I know a lot about him. His dad is one of the tops in Tokyo's security police. He's eleven years old. And there's some people looking for him that you wouldn't want to get involved with.”

“Who?” The taller asks while the blonde gathers the boy into his arms as if trying to protect him.

Yamada shifts his weight before answering, taking an extra second to think about his answer, wondering who this tall guy might be. “You ever heard of Diabolos?”

“Nope.” The blonde answers, at the same time as the tall one's eyes narrow in recognition, just as Yamada thought they might do.

“Yes.” The taller confirms, and his tone is even more hostile now. “What would they want with a child?”

“Beats me.” Yamada shrugs, acting like it has nothing to do with him. “But I wouldn't want to get involved.”

“We were just taking him to the hospital.” The blonde explains, and Yamada turns to look at him again, at his earnest eyes and big fluffy scarf. “He's cold and maybe injured. His... I think it's his mother. She's dead.”

Yamada just casts a glance over the blonde's head towards the body laying halfway in the water, taking in the blood on her clothes and has to restrain his smirk when he sees what a good shot he managed even though he pretty much shot without aiming. But he's a good actor, and so he frowns in concern. “Oh.”

He looks at the blonde again, since he seems a lot more pliable. “I could take him? He's none of your concern, is he?”

“No.” The blonde tugs the boy closer, like a child with a teddy bear someone wants to lend. “He's ours, we'll keep him safe.”

“Yours?” Yamada raises an eyebrow because he can't help himself, glancing between the two men and his annoyance almost shines through. “You sure are an odd couple.”

“And what interest is he to you?” The taller asks, voice cold and firm while the blonde just shrugs at the comment.

“I'm just an innocent bypasser wishing to help.” Yamada says with a small sarcastic smile, since he knows the taller won't buy anything he says anyway. “I'll take him to his father.”

“Why not just the police?” The taller questions. “I'm pretty sure his mother didn't die naturally so the police are probably involved.”

“There are insiders within the police. They'll take him immediately.” Yamada says, voice serious enough that at least the blonde seems to accept that instantly. “It's safer to just bring him straight to his father without involving them.”

He's starting to get a little stressed. This area isn't secluded at all, and there might be someone coming by any second and that's the last thing he needs. “Please, just let me take him?”

“No.” The taller says, and the blonde lights up when the taller leans down and helps him tug the boy up from the ground. “We'll take him to his father in that case.”

“Do you even know where to go?” Yamada asks, frowning.

“I don't.” The blonde admits as the taller helps him get the boy onto his back so he can carry him.

“I could lead the way.” Yamada offers, desperate for an excuse to stay with them. “I know where to go without being noticed by the police or anyone from Diabolos.”

The tall one's eyes narrow in thought as he drapes his own jacket over the boy on the blonde's back, picking up a small, soaked piece of clothing from the ground, but he doesn't answer.

“That sounds like a pretty good idea to me.” The blonde says, looking at the taller. “We don't know the way?”

“There's no 'we' in this, I only agreed to bring him to a hospital.” The taller says curtly, and then starts walking. “We need to get him warm. Hikaru, come on.”

The blonde hurries to follow him, and Yamada grits his teeth. The only reason he doesn't shoot them both right here is that the taller keeps glancing back at him.

He sends a final look at the mother's dead body, before pursuing the two, determined not to let them get to a hospital.

 

~*~

 

TBC

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Hikaru shivers at the cold of the boy's body against his back, the fabric of his own shirt soaked, and it glues to his skin and itches. He's not quite sure what happened back there, but he knows right from wrong and leaving a child to die is not right.

Yabu's quiet, even quieter than he was before, and Hikaru glances back to see that strange guy following them still.

”Yabu-chan.” Hikaru says carefully. ”Why is he following us?”

Yabu purses his lips and glances back again, before casting Hikaru a vigilant look. ”I'm not sure but I don't trust him. How is he?”

Hikaru shifts a little when he feels the small body on his back start sliding down a little. ”Still cold.”

They're back in town, but it's past midnight and there aren't many people out. They've only encountered a group of teenagers who were definitely more drunk than sober, and Hikaru's happy for that.

”I think he's pretty?” Hikaru tries, glancing back at their follower again, the young brunette with the round face and big eyes.

”Yes, way too pretty to be any good.” Yabu says, and Hikaru just tilts his head, because he's never had problems with pretty before.

”Poor Yabu-chan, you must have been unlucky with your girlfriends.” Hikaru says, smiling compassionately, knowingly, but Yabu just groans.

”I haven't! Just... How can you even think about that now?” Yabu frowns, and Hikaru almost thinks he's blushing a little, but then he freezes and his eyes widen. “Police.”

Hikaru looks ahead, and sees a police car slowly driving along the street crossing theirs, only a couple hundred metres before them.

“Told you they were everywhere.” A voice says just behind Hikaru and he almost jumps, turning to look at their follower, who calmly looks between Yabu and Hikaru with the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips.

“Never said we didn't believe you?” Hikaru tries a smile, but he sees Yabu's resolute face next to him and wonders what will happen now.

There's the sound of sirens in the distance, and their follower cocks an eyebrow, quietly saying “I told you so.”

“Fine. Come on.” Yabu says after another half minute of glaring at their follower, and then turns to head across the street and onto the next crossing one, and Hikaru recognizes the route back to the hotel. He can't help but feel a little worried about the boy, but he can feel him breathe at least.

They reach the hotel without meeting anyone but a half blind old man, but they see another police car and Hikaru notices how they all hurry their steps.

Once they step inside, Yabu reaches over to grab the upper arm of their follower, whose eyes widen and he looks ready to fight, but Yabu just tugs his own jacket up over the boy's shoulders with his left hand.

“Walk with me and help me cover them from view.” Yabu orders, and the follower tugs his arm free with a glare, but does as he's told.

They get past the reception smoothly, as the receptionist seems busy doing something behind the desk and barely looks up.

Once they're in the elevator, Hikaru finally acknowledges his back hurting a lot, and so he lets the boy slip off with a sigh, taking him in his arms instead. “Yabu-chan, it's a shame you're so skinny or you could carry him some.”

Yabu's dark eyes narrow and he glares at Hikaru. “I'm not skinny.”

Their follower makes a face that seems to be concerned disbelief, and it looks so funny Hikaru smiles.

The elevator doors open on their floor, and Yabu walks up to his own door and unlocks it, letting them all inside before closing it behind him.

Yabu shoves their follower aside and opens the bathroom door. “We need to get him warm. Run a bath.”

Hikaru nods, and enters the tiny bathroom where he sets the boy down on the floor to lean against the bathtub and starts the water, turning it up as hot as he dares. He looks at the boy silently, at his small face and tousle of black hair that's pretty long for being eleven years old.

“You'll need to undress him.” Yabu's voice says sternly, and Hikaru jerks, looking up to see Yabu leaning against the doorpost, keeping his eyes fixed on their follower as if to make sure he doesn't move an inch.

“Right, right, make some effort yourself.” Hikaru rolls his eyes as if Yabu's nagging, but gets to work undressing the boy, peeling off cold wet garments until there's only skin left, and lifts him enough to place him in the bathtub that's now half full. The water's really hot, but not enough to burn, and Hikaru figures that works. He sits down on the edge of the bathtub, keeping a hand on the boy's shoulder to make sure he stays above the surface, lets his head rest on Hikaru's thigh.

Yabu glances at him, and seems to assess his work done well enough as he turns to their follower again with anew suspicion.

“Who are you?” He demands, voice harsh, and Hikaru tilts his head because it sounds dangerous. He's not scared though. He knows Yabu's a good person. “Don't give me shit or I'm reporting this to the police right now.”

Their follower raises his hands protectively, his heavy leather jacket making a sound at the movement. “No need to yell. I'm Yamada. And I happen to have an interest in bringing this boy to his father rather than the police.”

“Hi Yamada.” Hikaru smiles, happy to be able to pair a name with his face, and waves his free hand lazily. “I'm Hikaru, this is Yabu-chan.”

Yamada gives him an odd look, but Hikaru's used to those so it doesn't bother him. He turns back to the boy, and he's relieved to find that the pale body's warming up, and his skin that's under the surface of the hot water is tinted pink.

“... Any particular reason you want that?” Yabu continues his hearing, and Hikaru leans forward to be able to see Yamada through the open door.

He makes an unimpressed face that doesn't fail to flatter his features. “I think we both know I can't answer that. Let's just say it's personal.”

Yabu crosses his arms and looks at the boy, looks at the head on Hikaru's thigh for one long second, and Hikaru realizes he's been stroking the boy's hair.

“Is there a particular reason you won't let me take him?” Yamada asks, making Yabu turn back to look at him.

“... Honestly, I just don't like you.” Yabu says, and Hikaru snorts a laugh even though the situation clearly isn't funny.

He gets another odd look from Yamada, but Yabu doesn't even acknowledge him.

“You're not the first one.” Yamada shrugs a shoulder, seeming bored with the conversation.

Yabu looks like he's about to say something, but then Hikaru feels the head on his thigh move a little, followed by a small, quiet whine. All eyes immediately move to the boy, but he stays still after the little sound, doesn't wake up, and Hikaru continues petting his hair.

“So, what are we gonna do?” He asks, looking between Yabu and Yamada expectantly.

Yabu sighs and rubs his forehead in annoyance. “Well, now we've already taken him, so I guess going to the police won't make us popular.”

“Exactly.” Yamada encourages. “So he should be brought to his father. I could bring him.”

“You're not having him.” Yabu almost growls, and Hikaru's a little surprised at how fierce he is.

“Aw, Yabu-chan, you do like us.” Hikaru says softly, tilting his head towards the boy, and Yabu just rolls his eyes.

“Then what do you plan on doing?” Yamada asks, after a long, calculating look at Hikaru and the boy.

“We'll bring him to his dad.” Hikaru suggests. “It'll be great, we can be like a little family.”

Yabu looks disgusted at the idea. “... I guess there aren't many other options than taking him to his dad. But we will be _nothing_ like a family!”

“And do you know where his dad is?” Yamada asks, an eyebrow rising and a tiny smirk playing at the corners of his lips, like he knows he's winning.

“Yes, since you'll help with that.” Yabu says so firmly Yamada looks surprised, but then crosses his arms with a satisfied smirk.

“We just need to get some life into the kid.” Yabu sighs, and he looks genuinely concerned now, biting his lip a little, and it becomes him, makes him look less harsh.

“He's probably exhausted. Maybe he wakes in the morning?” Hikaru suggests, twirling a black strand between his fingers. “It's late anyway.”

“It is.” Yabu agrees. “Someone should sleep with him so that he won't be cold.”

Yamada's face of shock is a little comical, making Hikaru laugh and shrug. “I'll do it. If he can have some dry clothes.”

Yabu leaves the room, and returns with what looks like a blue flannel pyjamas.

“Are those yours?” Hikaru laughs as Yabu sets them down on the toilet seat. “He's not even half as tall as you, he'll disappear!”

“He won't be cold.” Yabu says, and then exits the room. “Fix him up.”

He closes the door behind him, and Hikaru just shrugs, looking down at the boy and smiles a little, happy with the new people he's met. They're not Inoo and Keito, but they're interesting.

 

~*~

 

Yabu closes the bathroom door behind him and gives the guy, Yamada, a long hard look.

He reminds Yabu of a certain kind of guys he used to know, which makes Yabu pretty sure there's a reason he's wearing such a big jacket.

“What?” Yamada asks after a moment, sounding annoyed as he crosses his arms.

“I still don't trust you.” Yabu says calmly, clearly, and heads for his bed to move away some of his belongings.

This business trip surely didn't turn out the way he'd expected it to, and he knows he won't get home to his cat for another few days. But the desperation in the mother's eyes is burnt onto the back of his eyelids and he can't shake it like he could years ago. And it's true, he doesn't trust this pretty boy at all, especially not with the life of a child.

“I don't need you to.” Yamada says, having followed Yabu silently, now standing at the edge of the bed and looking at Yabu thoughtfully.

Yabu hears the water start running down the drain in the bathroom, and he neatly picks away his book and business papers from the duvet, head spinning with thoughts of what happens now and a feeling of surrealism about what occurred tonight. He remembers Hikaru's bloody clothes and goes to his suitcase to get him something to change into.

Yamada stands silently watching him, leaning against the desk attached to the wall, and it gets on Yabu's nerves to have eyes on him like this.

“What are you doing?” He asks, not looking up at the man who's definitely younger than himself.

There's a moment of silence, but when Yamada speaks there's a smirk in his voice. “Watching you. Who are you, some kind of business man?”

“No.” Yabu answers, even less interested in questions from this man than from Hikaru.

“You seem like it. What does this boy have to do with you?” Yamada goes on, just as the bathroom door opens and Hikaru walks out with the boy in his arms, and he really looks like he's drowning in Yabu's pyjamas, head on Hikaru's shoulder.

“It's really big.” Hikaru says as he gently dumps the boy onto the covers in a way that makes Yabu wonder if Hikaru has a child of his own, just like when he played with the boy's hair. He kind of wants to ask, but then frowns, reminding himself that he doesn't care anyway. Hikaru's annoying.

Yabu doesn't reply to the comment, but hands Hikaru the sweatpants and T-shirt he found in his packing. “Here. Wear this.”

“Ohh, for me?” Hikaru's eyes widen as he accepts the clothes, and then glances at Yamada in disbelief, as if he'd confirm they're really for him. “Good thing Yabu-chan has so many clothes.”

His voice is almost a sing-song tone, but he lays the clothes on the bed next to the boy and tugs his own shirt over his head, jacket already discarded somewhere.

Yabu looks away, even though he's not sure why, as Hikaru changes, averts his eyes to Yamada instead, who in turn is watching Hikaru with mild interest.

There really is something off about this Yamada, Yabu thinks. He looks like a kitten among tigers in a way, his soft brown hair and round face making him look barely twenty, but his clothing and posture tells something else about him, that he's confident and most likely dangerous. His looks really bother Yabu, because no matter where he belongs, he looks too innocent to be anything but lethal.

Hikaru's sigh of relief as he sits down on the bed breaks Yabu's train of thoughts, and he looks over as Hikaru manages to manoeuvre himself and the boy under the covers, tugging the boy closer, holding him to his chest.

“Ah it's been a while since I slept in a bed.” Hikaru says contentedly, cuddling closer to the boy, but then his eyes widen and he sits up in concern. “But hey where are you both sleeping?”

Yamada smiles superiorly, and when he meets Yabu's eyes, he knows that Yamada sees just as much as Yabu can see in him, and it's clear they won't sleep, busy keeping watch on each other.

“There's a chair here, and a chair over there.” Yabu says after a few moments, when Hikaru starts to wriggle around and claim that at least one more should fit in the bed.

Yamada pointedly jumps up to sit on the desk instead of the chair, leaning his head against the mirror and watches Yabu sit down in the armchair.

“You sleep Hikaru, we'll have to wake up in a couple of hours.” Yabu says, calmly, and Yamada nods in agreement.

It takes a little while for Hikaru to fall asleep, but he does, holding the boy like a teddy bear, and Yabu's not convinced he won't choke him.

“Your boyfriend's pretty cute.” Yamada comments, voice low but mocking.

“He's not my boyfriend, I only met him yesterday.” Yabu answers, keeping his voice calm but bitingly cold.

“Could have fooled me.” Yamada shrugs. “Guess we have a couple of long hours ahead of us. Got something to drink?”

 

~*~

 

Yamada wakes with a jerk at a touch to his knee, the empty glass rolling out of his hand and onto the desk with a heavy clunk. He's already got a hand on the gun under his jacket when his mind catches up with the situation and he can finally see what touched him.

The boy, Chinen Yuri, stands before him on the floor with a small hand on his knee, the flannel pyjamas so long it's in bulks on his arm.

Yamada relaxes a little, quickly pulls his hand back out and blinks once to see better, and as he glances up, he sees Hikaru still sleeping but Yabu's blinking awake, probably from the sound of Yamada's glass.

“Who are you?” The boy asks, and his voice is a bit shrill even though he sounds curious. That's just his voice, Yamada figures. “Where is this?”

Yamada opens his mouth and then closes it again, not sure what to answer to those questions. Even though it sounds stupid, he wasn't prepared to have to deal with the boy awake. At least not be woken by him. He's got a slim face, lots of messy black hair and big eyes, and looks a bit like any eleven year old boy. Maybe a little shorter.

The hand on Yamada's knee pushes a little, as if urging him to answer.

“Who are you?” The boy asks again, and he frowns a little in frustration at not getting an answer.

Yabu coughs once as he wakes up properly, making the boy turn around to look at him, and Yamada moves his leg away so that the little hand slips off of it. He's not very fond of physical contact, and not very fond of children.

The boy looks at Yabu for a moment, and then turns back to Yamada, pointing at Yabu. “Who's he?”

Yamada wonders why the boy turns to him of all three of them, but this question he can answer. “... Yabu.”

“Doesn't he have a first name?” The boy insists, and Yamada shrugs.

“You'll have to ask him.”

The boy turns to Yabu. “Don't you have a first name?”

Yabu blinks, but sits up straighter in the armchair, rubbing his forehead a little. “I'm Yabu Kota.”

Yamada almost _feels_ something in his brain click into place as he hears the name, but he plays it cool and watches the boy instead. Chinen just looks at Yabu, curiously, but his eyes are demanding, like someone who's used to getting answers when he wants them.

“What's your name?” Yabu asks as he looks at the boy again, and Yamada sees the boy's eyes widen in surprise at himself, clearly reminding him of something his parents have taught him as he bows and answers politely. “Chinen Yuri, pleased to meet you.”

Yamada almost smiles because he looks ridiculous with that huge pyjamas pooling around him, jacket hanging down to his knees, but then Chinen turns to look at Yamada again. “Who are you?”

“He's Yamada.” Yabu answers, and the look he gives Yamada over the boy's head doesn't lack irony.

“Don't _you_ have a first name?” Chinen asks, scrutinizing Yamada like he can see his first name by just looking at him.

Yamada frowns, not exactly comfortable sharing it. “None of your business, is it?”

The boy looks a little surprised, but not very bothered by the hard tone, and he crosses his small arms. “Then I shouldn't have told you mine.”

Yamada looks at the boy for a few moments, before exchanging an incredulous look with Yabu.

“Where are we?” Chinen goes on, and sits down on the bed where he's pushed the covers away when getting up, arms still crossed. “Are you security guys? Where's my mom?”

Yabu looks a little startled, mirroring Yamada's feelings, because they'd all probably thought there would be some time to plan what to tell the kid.

“Who's he?” Chinen asks as he scoots up on the bed and his back hits Hikaru's thigh. “I don't think he's a security guy. They don't usually sleep in my bed.”

Yamada nearly makes an embarrassing sound because of the unknown implications in that statement, but keeps his face neutral.

Yabu stands up and moves around the bed to shake Hikaru's shoulder, but he just gives a loud snore and turns over, mumbling something about “Keito go get your macaroni”, and Chinen looks like he wants to laugh but doesn't know if he should. Yabu rolls his eyes and shakes Hikaru more firmly.

“Hikaru. Wake up.” Yabu snaps, and Hikaru's eyes blink open, expression confused.

He sits up with a groan and Yabu retreats to his armchair, but doesn't sit down, just stands next to it.

“What time is it?” Hikaru yawns, and then glances around and jumps when he sees Chinen sitting by his hip, peering curiously at him with head tilted. “Whow! You're awake!”

Chinen frowns. “How long was I sleeping? Who are you?”

“Oh.” Hikaru blinks at him, and then looks between Yabu and Yamada once. “Hey, I'm Hikaru. We found you yesterday and you were really cold and unconscious so I've been warming you up.”

Hikaru explains, and Chinen's frown deepens.

“That sounds weird. And don't you have a _last_ name?”

“What's the obsession with full names?” Yamada can't help himself, because he's so used to people calling themselves things that aren't their own names, even real names, that it feels too personal to get all full names now.

“My mom says you should always introduce yourself with your full name.” Chinen says, some superiority in his tone that makes Yamada want to grab his collar and punch him in the face.

“Yeah, of course I have one.” Hikaru grins. “It's Yaotome. Yaotome Hikaru. What's your name?”

Chinen introduces himself again, not quite as politely as he's sitting crosslegged on the bed, but Hikaru makes a face at it.

“Too formal. I'll call you Chii.”

Chinen's mouth falls open in surprise, but he doesn't get a chance to say something before Yabu interrupts.

“Chinen-kun, your own clothes are in the bathroom, why don't you go change into those?”

The boy glances at Yabu and then back at Hikaru, but he seems used to be told what to do without explanation, since he slips off the bed and gathers the pyjamas enough to walk before trotting off towards the bathroom.

Yabu waits for the bathroom door to close before he hisses what they're all thinking.

“Great, what the hell do we tell him now?!”

 

~*~

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

Yabu nervously glances at the bathroom door, but relaxes a little when he hears water running and some moving around from in there.

”We'll tell him whatever makes him pliable.” Yamada suggests, voice low and determined. ”It won't help any of us to tell him his mother is dead.”

“But...” Hikaru's still looking a little sleep-fuzzy, but he wraps his arms around his knees that are still under the covers and gives Yamada a sensitive look. “Yama-chan, that's really cruel. We can't lie to him about that?”

Yamada makes an offended face at the nickname, scrunching up his nose and it's almost cute, but Yabu interrupts him before he can complain aloud about it. “You're both right. We'll just tell him we found him by the river and we don't know what happened to him, and that we're taking him to his dad, yeah?”

“Mm...” Hikaru frowns, and he still looks a little bothered, absently playing with his own fingers.

“Yeah.” Yamada nods, wetting his lips as he seems to be thinking hard. “And tell him it's better to keep it secret, so he doesn't walk straight up to a policeman or something.”

“Right.” Yabu agrees, still glancing at the bathroom door and tries to hurry the conversation along. “It could probably be a game or something.”

“... I still don't like this.” Hikaru pouts, looking between Yabu and Yamada. “It's his mom.”

“Which means he'll be crying and screaming and be as unhelpful as he can if we tell him.” Yamada says, tone short and annoyed, and Hikaru makes a face at him.

“We'll-” Yabu starts, but cuts himself off when the handle of the bathroom door turns and Chinen steps out, a worried borderline nauseous expression on his face and Yabu's insides suddenly go cold as he realizes the boy may have heard them. “Chinen-kun?”

Chinen's wearing all his clothes; the blue jeans, the grey T-shirt with some English words on it, and the little black jacket that hugs his small form, and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with them. But he's holding the hem of his T-shirt as if keeping it away from his body, and he looks between the shirt and them, eyes darting from Yabu to Yamada to Hikaru and back to Yamada.

“What's this on my shirt?” He asks, and he looks eleven suddenly, when there's no cocky attitude and his voice trembles a little. Yabu curses the feeling clutching at his heart suddenly, the want to protect this boy much stronger today than it had been yesterday, and he wonders when he lost control of his emotions.

“I don't see anything?” Hikaru squints, and then raises a hand to wave at Chinen to come closer.

Chinen swallows but approaches, and he almost looks scared of them now, such a big contrast to his earlier confidence.

“Here.” He mumbles, and holds his shirt out for Hikaru to see, casting nervous looks at Yabu and Yamada.

“Oh, this?” Hikaru smiles and takes the hem in his own hand, and Yabu can't help but think what a small shirt it is when compared to Hikaru's hand. “I don't know, could be coffee? Do you drink coffee?”

Yabu sees a flash of dark stains and immediately understands what it is, and suddenly remembers that it's all over Hikaru's clothes as well, almost panicking as he realizes they're on the floor just next to where Chinen's standing now.

“No.” Chinen says quietly, and looks up at Hikaru with uncertainty written all over his face, and it hurts Yabu's heart a little how honest his next question is, like he trusts Hikaru will give the true answer. “Are you sure it's coffee?”

“I don't see what else it could be?” Hikaru tilts his head with a small smile, and Yabu's honestly impressed with this guy, and can't help but think he may have misjudged him a little yesterday. “But you don't want to walk around with it, do you? We'll get you a new one.”

Yamada makes a sound that is most likely the start of a protest to that, but Yabu quickly shoots him a dark glare to shut him up. Yamada makes an exaggerated face of irritation, but doesn't say anything, and glances at Chinen with crossed arms, looking like he's already so done with this situation.

“Or I could go home and get one.” Chinen mumbles, but he lets go of his shirt and sits down on the edge of the bed with a sigh, facing away from them. “Where are we?”

Hikaru turns his head to catch Yabu's eyes, raising an eyebrow in question, and Yabu nods at him to continue.

“We're in a hotel room in town. We found you yesterday night, by the river, and you were really cold, so we brought you here.” Hikaru explains gently.

“... Why was I there?” Chinen asks, and his voice is a little upset now. “I don't remember going to any river. Where's my mom?”

“... What do you remember?” Yabu asks, and he glances at Yamada to see if there's any suspicious reaction that could indicate his involvement. There isn't.

“I...” Chinen starts, but then breaks off like he's in thought. “I was about to go to bed. Mom made me hot chocolate because dad had just left for a work trip, and he doesn't like us having chocolate late at night. Then...”

He trails off again, and Yabu clings to every word, wondering what might have happened to the boy.

“Then there were... men in our living room, with dark clothes and guns. Mom grabbed my arm and gave me my jacket, and then tugged me out the back door. I don't... remember more, I know we started running, and I was really scared.”

His voice is thin now, and Hikaru reaches out to put a hand on the boy's shoulder, face full of pity.

“Where's my mom?” Chinen asks again, more fiercely, looking at Hikaru who doesn't respond. He turns to Yabu and Yamada for answers then, and he looks close to crying.

“We don't know.” Yamada says, and for having been so irritated with the situation this far, his voice is really gentle now. “We were planning to bring you to your father. He's in Tokyo, right?”

Chinen nods slowly, looking at Yabu and Hikaru too for confirmation. He seems to see it since he turns back to Yamada. “Can we go home first?”

“I don't think that's a good idea.” Yamada says, and he slowly steps forward until he can crouch down before Chinen. “You see, those men with guns may be looking for you still. It's probably safest to go straight to your father without letting anyone else know, yeah?”

Yabu frowns, because he doesn't get Yamada's behaviour at all. He's like three personalities in one and Yabu can't figure out which the real one is. But what he's saying seems to work, because Chinen slowly nods. “Mm.”

“But first, we'll eat, right?” Hikaru asks, effectively breaking any tension left as he stretches and smiles. “I'm really hungry, bet you guys are too.”

“I'm hungry.” Chinen agrees, and Yabu sighs.

There has to be people looking for this boy by now, police and ordinary people, and he has no idea how they're supposed to smuggle him out and be able to feed him. At least it's still early.

“And I want a new shirt.” Chinen adds, his earlier spoiled attitude slowly returning.

… Or get him a shirt.

 

~*~

 

Hikaru trots along the aisle of the small convenience store with the basket dangling on his arm and helps Chinen pick out all the good stuff they want to eat.

“This, too.” Chinen insists and stands on his toes to reach some cream-filled bread on the top shelf.

“Yeah, that looks awesome.” Hikaru agrees, and he doesn't even care about how much food they're buying because he doesn't have any money anyway so he assumes Yabu's paying.

He glances back to where Yabu and Yamada waits by the entrance, almost looking like security guards. Yabu staked out a plan of how to keep Chinen from the big crowds, and Yamada helped out with sneaky shortcuts and paths where people hardly seem to walk. Hikaru's not that bothered with the planning part, doesn't really see the point, so he's just doing what they tell him to, which now happens to be helping Chinen pick out food at a convenience store at 6.30 in the morning.

Because early mornings seem to be part of the keeping-Chinen-out-of-sight plan.

“I want that.” Chinen points at some chilled juice on one of the top shelves behind the glass door, and Hikaru reaches for it while giggling about how short Chinen is. He's half Hikaru's height and he looks pretty grumpy about it.

“I want candy.” Chinen says then, and Hikaru can't hold back a yawn.

“You want candy this early? Damn.” He says, but obediently follows Chinen to pick out candy, and when he glances back at Yabu and Yamada, Yabu's looking pretty stressed.

Hikaru just smiles at him, since there's not really anything to be stressed about, and then yawns again and scratches at his scalp while Chinen stuffs their basket with jelly candy.

When Chinen declares them finished, they head for the checkout, and Hikaru sneaks in some chewing gum due to the fact that he doesn't own a toothbrush.

Hikaru greets the cashier, a young girl, with a smile and sets their basket down on the counter, while Yamada gracefully steers Chinen's attention away by bringing him to the magazine stand.

“Wallet?” Hikaru turns to look at Yabu, who rolls his eyes but steps up to him to pay for them. He's not wearing a suit today and it looks odd, in a good way, making him seem more relaxed and a few years younger.

Hikaru's wearing his clothes too since his own were bloodstained and he couldn't really walk around in them. He's wearing sweats and a pale green T-shirt that's pretty tight since Yabu's a lot skinnier than him, and a cardigan that's a little gay but so fluffy Hikaru could adopt it and name it something cute.

“These too.” Yamada sighs behind him suddenly, and Hikaru can smell cigarettes and cologne as Yamada reaches past him to place two magazines on the counter next to their basket. The cashier looks up at him and smiles shyly before taking the magazines too.

Hikaru glances back at Yamada to see if he did anything flirty, but he just looks bored as Chinen demands his attention to whine about that there was another magazine he wanted.

“That'll be 3245 yen.” The cashier says and glances between the three of them before settling on Yabu, whose eyes widen as he opens his wallet and starts picking out coins and notes.

“Seriously, what did you buy?” Yabu mutters, annoyed, when they're out in the chilly morning air again, but Hikaru just smiles while Chinen bitches about wanting his food.

“You'll have to wait a little longer, we're getting you a shirt, remember?” Yabu tells him, and he's getting kinder to the boy every time he addresses him, Hikaru can't help but think. Even if Chinen frankly is acting pretty spoiled and isn't very nice to them.

Yamada seems to try the tactic where he doesn't talk to any of them and only focuses on what they're doing, and Hikaru thinks that must be kind of boring.

They find a clothing store that's open at this ungodly hour, in case someone like them is crazy enough to want to buy a shirt at 7 in the morning.

“Should I buy something too?” Hikaru asks Yabu as Chinen scurries off towards his size and tugs Yamada along by his sleeve. “I kind of like your clothes, they're comfy.”

Yabu sighs, looking like he's choosing between a rock and a hard place. “... If you don't have any money anyway, you might as well just borrow my clothes.”

“Yay.” Hikaru smiles. “I'll return them.”

“Hopefully.” Yabu sighs again, then glances down the aisle where Chinen and Yamada disappeared. “C'mon, let's see what the kid wants so we can buy it before Yamada punches him.”

 

~*~

 

“I don't like red.” Chinen wrinkles his nose at some shirt, and Yamada almost snaps at him that he should be fucking happy he's not covered in another kind of red, but stops the words before they leave his mouth.

“Then get something else.” He grunts instead, and he can't help feeling that he's so much better than this. If those fucking guys hadn't found Chinen first he could have just knocked him out and brought him to Tokyo without all this babysitting crap. At least they're catching a train in an hour, and even though they can't take the express train, it will get them on the way to Tokyo. He'd glanced at the morning paper at the convenience store, unsurprised to see Chinen's mother as headline and a picture of the boy with a question of his whereabouts.

“How are things going?” Yabu asks suddenly, and Yamada turns to meet the watchful eyes immediately fixing on him.

Hikaru finds some atrociously patterned shirt he tries to make Chinen like, while Yamada and Yabu just look evenly at each other for a moment.

“Fine.” Yamada answers plainly.

“I can tell.” Yabu raises an eyebrow as he watches Hikaru and Chinen turn into enemies over a green T-shirt.

“I want the pink one.” Chinen objects, and Yamada can't help himself.

“That's very heterosexual.” He says, not loudly, but Hikaru turns to him with a face that clearly says he heard it.

“Yama-chan, that's not okay, you should be a good role model.” Hikaru reprimands, and Chinen looks between them in confusion while Yabu just rolls his eyes and asks Chinen if he's decided what he wants. “Boys can wear pink too, there's nothing wrong with that.”

Yamada rolls his eyes, but Hikaru comes closer, a grin spreading on his face that looks alarming, and he's already way into Yamada's personal space.

“Besides...” Hikaru grins, and leans his head on Yamada's shoulder, hands grasping onto his arm, and Yamada tries to pull away. “There's nothing wrong with gay people, is there?”

“Get the fuck off.” Yamada growls and twists away, and Hikaru lets go after he nearly manages to tug off Yamada's sleeve, but he's laughing, that fucking bastard.

“Let's just buy the shirt and get going.” Yabu says, and his tone is calm, but when he looks at Yamada, his eyes are cold as ice.

 

~*~

 

When they finally board their train, after a few minutes of quiet arguing of where they're going, Yabu breathes a sigh of relief. Ever since they left the hotel this morning he's been on edge, thinking every time they meet someone on the street or buy something in a store, that Chinen will be recognized. His picture is in the paper after all, and even though it can't be that recent, he's got a face that's not too hard to recognize. But he supposes that Chinen's behaviour saves them, since a child nagging about candy and tugging someone's sleeve doesn't look like a kidnapped child.

Chinen skips through the aisle to find their compartment, seemingly excited about travelling like this. Yabu wonders if he's travelled a lot or mostly been left home with his mother.

Hikaru follows him, yawning and swinging the bag with food leisurely as he complains about Chinen being too happy this early in the morning. It's 7.40 and their train leaves in six minutes.

Yamada follows Hikaru with his hands in his pockets, and Yabu hasn't looked away from him more than a minute since what happened in the clothing store. What he saw in there.

He knows he has to confront Yamada about it, but he's clearly dangerous and Yabu has to catch him off guard to make sure he doesn't have time to react.

Chinen disappears into a compartment, and Hikaru glances at the numbers inside before stepping in as well. They agreed on buying tickets for all six seats so they wouldn't be bothered, and so Yabu knows it's all empty.

Yamada pauses to glance out the window in the aisle, and Yabu steps inside before him. Chinen's already sitting by the window and struggling to get his jacket off while looking out at the train just opposite theirs, seemingly struggling to read the large black kanji covering the side of it.

Hikaru's stretched out over the three seats across, his blonde hair spreading over the red fabric as he clearly makes himself comfortable, rather loudly.

“Are you gonna take up all that space?” Yabu asks, dejected, hoping Hikaru's only joking but he already knows the answer.

“There are still seats for you two, right? You can fit here if you want?” Hikaru glances up with a smile, then looks over Yabu's shoulder. “Yama-chan, close the door?”

Yabu glances over his shoulder, seeing Yamada roll his eyes and then turn around to close the sliding door. Yabu strikes like a cobra once he turns back around, shoving him into the door he just closed with enough force to knock the breath out of him, pushing an arm against his throat and pinning his wrists down at the same time while pressing his hip into Yamada's stomach to keep him from kicking.

The reactions around him are immediate, Hikaru making a loud surprised noise and Chinen yelping, while Yamada just glares furiously at Yabu as his hands tries to claw at the arm that holds them down, but Yabu just puts more pressure on his arm, right against Yamada's Adam's apple, forcing him to focus on trying to breathe.

“Yabu-chan?” Hikaru says, and his voice is careful, like he's dealing with someone out of their mind. “What are you doing? You're scaring us.”

Yabu doesn't look back at them, but he's a little impressed by how Hikaru's tone is so calm, if only trembling a little at the end of every question.

“He's armed.” Yabu explains, and uses his free hand to slip underneath Yamada's jacket to feel for himself.

Yamada growls something, but is cut off with a grunt as Yabu shoves his chin up further.

“What?” Hikaru asks, and Chinen whines something about what is going on, but his voice comes from the wrong side, so Yabu assumes he fled to Hikaru at the sudden violence.

“Here.” Yabu says, focusing on keeping Yamada still as he lifts the side of Yamada's jacket enough to show off the harness carrying a pretty impressive pistol. “There's one more.”

“... Wow.” Hikaru says, sounding a little shaken now.

Yabu reaches in to take the gun, feeling the familiar weight of it in his hand as he makes sure it's secured before tossing it onto the seat on his left, then takes the other as well, keeping it in his hand as he releases Yamada.

Yamada slumps a little, chest heaving for breath as he reaches up with a hand to rub his throat, glaring daggers at Yabu.

“Care to explain?” Yabu asks, and picks up the other gun from the seat. He feels a lot safer now that Yamada doesn't have these. He glances down at them, thinking that they are about as far from toys one could get. They also look pretty well used, which makes Yabu feel even more uneasy.

“Not really.” Yamada growls, and his eyes are shining with anger under those brown bangs, cheeks pink. “Give them back, I'm not shooting anyone.”

“You're not one of them are you?” Yabu retorts harshly, and Yamada raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Them?” Hikaru asks carefully, and Yabu turns to look at him. He's sitting as far away from them as he can with his arms wrapped around Chinen, who's clinging to Hikaru's neck with eyes wide open like a scared bunny, and it makes Yabu realize what he's doing.

“Those who are looking for Chinen-kun. Diabolos.” He explains, lowering his voice and tries to keep it calm, as he lays the guns down on the seat behind him again. “They're a pretty nasty gang from Tokyo.”

Yamada straightens and lets his hand fall from his neck, where the skin is an angry red, and he glares fiercely at Yabu. “... I'm not exactly friends with them, if I put it that way.”

“Not exactly friends can mean a lot of things.” Yabu comments, but keeps his voice calm, and he can see from the corner of his eye that Chinen's not trying to strangle Hikaru anymore, his grip having loosened a little.

“Yes.” Yamada agrees, and actually sits down, a clear invitation to peace. “Let's say I'd rather avoid them, if that helps you.”

Yabu sits down as well, moving Hikaru's legs away a little so he can fit, the guns lying on his left having their own seat. “It does, I suppose.”

He still doesn't trust Yamada, but he's starting to get the feeling that at least he won't shoot them in their sleep. Even though it bothers him a lot that he has no idea of Yamada's motives, but he clearly doesn't intend to share them willingly.

“Yama-chan's not a bad guy, right?” Hikaru says, and Yabu turns to raise an eyebrow at him, because he doesn't know many good guys walking around with two guns and trying to get their hands on a kid whose mother just died. “He wouldn't hurt us.”

“No, he wouldn't.” Chinen agrees, but then presses closer to Hikaru's chest almost nervously when everyone turns to look at him.

Yabu sighs as the train starts moving, figuring he can't do much right now. “Fine. For now.”

“Can I have those back?” Yamada asks, his voice calm but there's a little pinch of annoyance at his mouth as he looks at the weapons lying on the seat across from him. “Don't want the conductor seeing them do we?”

Yabu sits silent for a few moments, before reluctantly admitting to himself that Yamada's probably right and nods. Yamada rises to collect his guns, putting them back under his jacket with too much ease. But Yabu doesn't comment, deciding he at least called attention to Yamada having them.

“... Can we please eat now?” Hikaru asks after Yamada sits down again. “Traumatic events make me so hungry.”

 

~*~

 


	5. Chapter 5

Hikaru chews jelly candy while watching Chinen eat cream bread and get splotches of cream on his cheek. Yabu already complained that they didn't exactly buy anything healthy, and Hikaru teased him about being a mother, which made Yabu groan and grab a melon bread.

The division of who got to eat what probably didn't get that equal, since Hikaru figures Chinen's the smallest while he himself or maybe Yamada is the largest, but still Chinen hogged most of the things.

"Yama-chan, how tall are you?" Hikaru asks, as he ponders if maybe Yamada is larger after all.

Yamada looks up from one of Chinen's magazines spread over his lap with a look that practically tells Hikaru to get lost. "What."

"How tall are you? Not too tall right?" Hikaru asks, not bothered by the tone.

Yamada makes an ugly face that still doesn't make him look any less pretty, and crosses his arms. "165."

"Aww, really?" Hikaru grins, because that's pretty cute. "You're so small."

"Shut up or I'll make sure you lose a couple of decimetres yourself." Yamada growls, but Hikaru's not that intimidated. Yabu made Yamada lay away his guns after the conductor passed, and as he sits in a plain black T-shirt and a pretty silver necklace, he looks smaller, or maybe younger, and much less intimidating.

"Easy there." Yabu reaches over to pat Yamada's head, which makes Yamada growl more threatening things and shove at Yabu so hard he almost falls over.

"What do you weigh?" Hikaru asks cheerfully, interested in knowing so he can count if he's biggest himself or if Yamada can rival him.

Chinen looks between them, biting his lip as if he doesn't know whether to be nervous or not.

"... What the actual fuck." Yamada growls, and Chinen cringes, but Hikaru just smiles.

"Hikaru, I'm sure you know never to ask a lady about her weight." Yabu reprimands sarcastically, and Yamada looks like he just tasted something sour as he spares Yabu a glare.

"I was just thinking whether Yama-chan is bigger than me or not, then you need height and weight." Hikaru explains, and both Yamada's and Yabu's eyebrows rise. "What? I thought it might be of matter if someone wanted to argue the food sharing."

That only makes their eyebrows rise higher, and even Chinen looks surprised, his small mouth falling open a little as if he hadn't even considered sharing the food in any particular way but him getting his favourites. It's pretty cute when there's cream at the corner of his mouth.

"Hikaru, who are you?" Yabu asks suddenly out of nowhere, and Hikaru blinks. What?

"I'm... me?" He says, not sure he understands the question because it sounds deep.

"Yeah, I mean, where are you from, what do you do, why don't you have a wallet?" Yabu asks, but his questions are more intrigued than those angry forcing ones he asks Yamada.

Hikaru shrugs. It's not a very interesting story. "I'm from Sendai, I don't particularly do anything and my friends took all my stuff when they left before I woke up. I'll find them once we've left Chii."

Yabu just looks at him for a moment, before sighing like Hikaru's a lost cause. "Whatever."

There's another long silence, and Hikaru spends it looking at the trees flashing by outside the window while eating the remains of whatever candy bags Chinen opens before deciding he wants something else instead.

"I'm bored." Chinen finally whines, pouting as his legs dangle aimlessly from the seat. "Are we there yet?"

Yamada rolls his eyes and looks at Yabu with dejection in his eyes. "If he says he needs to pee, can I at least slap him?"

"No." Yabu says firmly without even looking at him, instead turns to Chinen with a pedagogic voice. "And no, we're not there yet. It's going to take a while and we'll be switching trains in a couple hours."

"Hours?!" Chinen's eyes widen as he whines even more, making Yamada's mouth pinch in irritation. "That's so long, I'll die of boredom!"

"Read your magazines." Yamada suggests dryly, since he's the only one who's touched them yet, and if Hikaru's to judge, they're not exactly his kind of magazines. One of them is a shoujo manga.

"… I can't read them alone." Chinen mutters and crosses his arms, and the tips of his ears get a little red.

Hikaru can't help but think that's cute. "I'll read them with you, if you want?"

Chinen looks at Hikaru for a moment and Hikaru doesn't quite understand what he's thinking, but then he decidedly turns to glare at Yamada instead. "I want Yama-chan to do it."

Yamada's mouth forms a little o in surprise, and it's pretty comical before he frowns instead. "Why me, I already read them! And if you call me Yama-chan one more time I swear to God I'll-"

"Hey." Yabu grabs Yamada's arm and effectively cuts him off. "You wanted to take care of the kid, right?"

His voice is irritated and Hikaru can hear the point made between the lines, but Chinen clearly does not.

"I call you what I want." Chinen decides, and Hikaru almost wants to laugh at how much his bratty attitude clearly bothers Yamada. "I always call the security guys what I want. There was one who looked like a gorilla once, so I called him Monkey. But only when mom couldn't hear it."

That has Hikaru laughing for real, but Yamada just rolls his eyes and tugs his arm free from Yabu's grip. "Fine, get over here, I'm not moving."

Chinen grins, content, and scuttles over to snuggle in next to Yamada and open the shoujo manga magazine, and Yamada looks so mortified at the close proximity that Hikaru laughs even more.

"Yama-chan, you're really cute." He tells him. "Like an angry teenager."

Yamada raises an eyebrow at Hikaru. “Are you always like this? No wonder your friends left you.”

Hikaru just shrugs with an apologetic smile, then stretches out on the empty seats to take a nap while Yamada explains kanji to Chinen in the story that appears to be about cute boys and girls with animal ears.

 

~*~

 

“I've been thinking.” Yabu's voice in his ear wakes Hikaru from a dream about having Inoo as a pet chameleon and losing him in a shopping mall.

“What?” Hikaru slurs, and it takes him a moment to remember where he is. He sits up, looking at the messy compartment and then smiles sleepily as he sees Yamada and Chinen asleep in their seats, Yamada with a magazine still in his hands and Chinen's head on his chest.

Yabu's standing next to him, but sits down now that there's room for it. “I've been thinking. Chinen's picture was in the newspapers this morning. We need to do something to disguise him.”

“Like what?” Hikaru yawns, not really catching up with Yabu's thoughts yet. “Yabu-chan don't you ever sleep?”

“Not much.” Yabu admits. “I normally have a lot to think about.”

“That's probably another reason you're really skinny.” Hikaru says wisely, and stretches as he yawns again, nearly smacking Yabu in the face with his arm.

“No, it's not.” Yabu insists, frowning. “No, enough about my looks already, we need to do something about Chinen's.”

“Not much we can do, can we?” Hikaru frowns, contemplating the boy's peaceful sleeping face.

“We can cut his hair.” Yabu says simply, and it takes Hikaru a few sleepy seconds to take in that statement and realize a few problems.

“We don't have scissors though? And no one who can make it look decent.” He comments, but Yabu brandishes a small pair of scissors.

“I had these in my luggage.” He says, and looks thoughtfully at Chinen. “We should have thought of buying him a new jacket as well. But the shirt works.”

Hikaru smiles at the fact that Chinen got to buy the pink shirt in the end.

“I'm not cutting anything, I don't want him to die.” Hikaru declares.

“I'm not sure I can do it either.” Yabu breathes a sigh through his nose. “Not sure if he'll _let_ us.”

Hikaru ponders that for a moment, and he can practically see Chinen cry and hold onto his hair before his eyes. “Good question there.”

Yabu rises, clearly about to wake the two, but he doesn't get his outstretched hand closer than 20 centimetres before Yamada's eyes fly open and the magazine falls to the floor as he grabs Yabu's wrist, lightning fast. Hikaru jerks almost as much as Yabu does in surprise, but Yamada releases him as soon as he's conscious about his surrounding.

“What?” He asks, voice a little thick, and then he looks down at Chinen sleeping on his chest and makes a grimace, raising a hand to shove the boy away. “Hey.”

Chinen whines as he wakes up at the brusque manhandling, and he groans something about being tired. Hikaru could only agree, but it's still bothering him that Yabu didn't get any sleep yet.

“We've been thinking about maybe cutting Chinen's hair.” Yabu says, not as determined now since Chinen's actually listening, and seems pretty grumpy to begin with.

“... Yeah?” Yamada asks, like he's waiting for more, and Hikaru's a little impressed with how quickly he looks awake.

“We need to disguise him somehow and that's the best idea I have.” Yabu shrugs. “I have a pair of scissors but I guess none of us can cut.”

Chinen looks between them with wide eyes, and there's a small hand creeping up to touch his pretty long bangs defensively.

“I'll do it, I have sisters.” Yamada says like that explains something, but Hikaru's just happy about the first piece of personal information he's volunteered yet.

But Chinen shrieks and crawls backwards from them, looking like they want to kill him. “No!”

Yamada just rolls his eyes and stretches a hand out for the scissors. “Give me those.”

Yabu blinks once, then glances at the pile on the shelf over Hikaru's head that consist of Yamada's jacket and guns.

“Oh c'mon, I'm not gonna stab him or something, give me the scissors.” Yamada insists in annoyance when he sees Yabu's glance.

“You sure?” Yabu raises an eyebrow, but his tone is ironic as he hands Yamada the scissors.

“I don't want to cut my hair!” Chinen nearly shouts, and Hikaru and Yabu both shush him at the same time, which doesn't help lowering his volume at all. “I refuse!”

“Chinen.” Yamada says, and his voice is low and stern as he turns to look at the boy. “Do you want them to recognize you?”

Chinen makes a face as if he's not sure whether to shout and protest or not, his nose twitching rather cutely.

“If we cut your hair, they won't.” Yamada promises, voice firm and calm, but it sounds like an ice crust over a lava ocean, which Chinen seems to pick up on.

“... But I've saved it. For weeks.” He whines, but he seems to have given up already.

“I won't cut it too short I promise, now get over here.” Yamada motions towards the seat next to him and raises an eyebrow expectantly.

“... You promise?” Chinen finally asks, slowly loosening his grip on his hair.

“I promise.” Yamada assures, and Hikaru glances at Yabu, who looks pretty stunned that it actually worked as Chinen slowly crawls back towards Yamada.

“What if you cut it too short anyway?” Chinen pouts as he sits before Yamada again.

“What do you want if I do?” Yamada asks, sighing like he's really tired of this already.

“... If you do, I'm sleeping in your bed. With you.” Chinen settles, and Yamada doesn't do very well covering his shock; Hikaru bursts out laughing at his indignant expression.

“... Fine.” Yamada finally agrees after sending Hikaru a glare. “Now turn around and someone hand me something to gather up the hair.”

 

~*~

 

Yamada's actually kind of pleased when he puts the scissors down, Chinen's hair roughly 3 centimetres shorter and not too uneven. Having Chinen ask every other cut how short it got was pretty unnerving, and Hikaru and Yabu watching didn't make it easier, but it turned out okay.

“Yeah I'm done.” He says, and Chinen's little hands immediately fly to his hair to check it. “It's not too short.”

Chinen reluctantly agrees, and Yamada can't help but wonder why Chinen wanted to sleep in his bed as punishment. The only reason he can imagine is that Chinen feels safest with Yamada, which doesn't really settle well with him considering he did shoot Chinen's mother to death in cold blood.

“That looks good.” Hikaru says in his loud voice, leaning closer to examine Chinen's new hairstyle. “Yama-chan are you an undercover hairdresser?”

“No, I've never cut hair before in my life.” Yamada admits, leaning back in his seat and can't help but feeling a little smug, at least enough to ignore the nickname. He's only watched his sisters cut the hair of their dolls, with various success.

Chinen turns to stare at him with mouth open in shock, like he can't believe he just let Yamada cut his hair with that lack of experience.

Yabu doesn't comment, just gives Yamada one of those knowing looks that he's been sending him since the clothing store, and leans down to fold and pick up Hikaru's scarf which served as a hair collector. As soon as Yabu slammed him against the door Yamada knew he'd slipped up in the store, when Hikaru nearly pulled his jacket off. And now, Yabu's even more watchful of him than he was before.

“He doesn't look the same at all.” Hikaru sounds impressed, still looking at Chinen like he's never seen him before. “A little... older?”

“Really?” Chinen asks, sounding excited, and Hikaru immediately picks up on the positive attitude.

“Yes, definitely.” He says, smiling, and Chinen looks pleased again.

“We should gather up our things.” Yabu says seriously. “We're changing trains soon.”

“Buzzkill.” Hikaru calls him, but can't keep his grin away when Yabu turns to glare at him, eyes narrowed.

When they finally get off the train, it's raining and it's already past lunch. Chinen keeps inquiring where they are and when he can get something to eat and whines that he's bored, which honestly makes Yamada want to slap him and tell him to behave, but he knows Yabu's watching him.

At least they don't have a lot of things, only Yabu's luggage and a plastic bag that Hikaru's carrying, and it helps keeping Yamada's mind from the image of a family on vacation.

Chinen stays close to Yamada as they hurry from the outdoors platform and into the station building, and grabs Yamada's jacket sleeve when people start accumulating around them, almost forcing them apart.

Yamada easily pushes his way through the crowd and inside, more than used to it from his years in Tokyo, but Chinen clutches harder onto his arm as they make their way to an unoccupied corner inside.

“There's a lot of people.” Chinen comments, and his voice sounds small as he glances up at all the businessmen and women walking past that are all taller than him.

“You've never been to Tokyo, have you?” Yamada asks, but he's not too invested since they lost Yabu and Hikaru on the way and his mind immediately wanders to ways of getting out of here without them. But then he sees Hikaru's blonde hair and figures there's no way with this little time.

“No.” Chinen answers, and there's nothing annoying about his tone this time. Yamada glances down at him, finding him looking thoughtful and a little sad while glancing at the people around him. “Dad never let me.”

Yamada frowns, not entirely sure what's going on right now, but then Yabu and Hikaru show up before he can decide whether he should be comforting Chinen or not.

“Don't lose us like that.” Yabu scolds, and he sounds a little annoyed.

“I'm not running off with him, just drop it.” Yamada rolls his eyes, and then narrows them when he sees Yabu glancing at his chest. He got his guns back, and Yabu can't stop looking at him like he's a bomb waiting to explode. To be fair, he's not all wrong, because if he's going to keep doing that Yamada would gladly aim a gun at him.

“Oh do you _have_ to fight all the time?” Hikaru whines, and Chinen's grip on Yamada's jacket loosens as Hikaru takes his other hand. “Let's get some food, we don't have all day?”

“All you think about is food.” Yabu sighs, but lets his eyes off Yamada and takes charge of finding somewhere to eat.

They end up at a cheap restaurant at the far corner of the station, while Yabu keeps reminding them that they only have another 40 minutes until their next train leaves, and Chinen picks out what he wants before scurrying to the bathroom to look at his new hair.

Yabu's a little hesitant at letting him go alone, but then Hikaru starts calling him a curling mom and it distracts Yabu long enough for Chinen to slip from his chair and sneak away.

“Might as well let him go. The waiter doesn't need to see him, does he?” Yamada points out quietly and pours himself some water.

Yabu glances at him, but it's obvious that he sees Yamada's point. Still, he turns back to Hikaru. “I'm not a curling mom. I just care for him, that's all.”

“Aw, Yabu-chan, you are too sweet.” Hikaru grins, tilting his head and twirling a strand of his hair in an imitation of a lovesick girl. “Just my kind of man.”

Yabu makes a face at him, but then puts his normal business expression back on as the waiter arrives and they order their food.

Yamada's starving, if he's honest, and it might be an additional reason to his snappy behaviour.

Hikaru seems to be too, since he orders extra almost everything, making Yabu purse his lips.

“... Am I supposed to pay for this too?” He asks, sounding a little irritated.

“Ehm... I don't have any money?” Hikaru says, and he has the decency to look a little sheepish.

“I can't cover all of these costs just for fun you know.” Yabu says, frowning, and Yamada rolls his eyes, sick of any more bitching before food.

“Jeez shut up already, I'll pay.” He groans, making both Yabu and Hikaru turn to him in surprise. “... What, do I look like someone without money?”

Hikaru scrunches his face up in thought for a moment, but then nods. “You're right, you're too pretty to be broke.”

The comment has Yamada raising his eyebrows, because that could mean a lot of things, among some which he could punch Hikaru straight in the face for saying, and his voice comes out a little threatening. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Easy pretty boy.” Yabu says, but he's grinning as he pats Yamada's shoulder, and Yamada wishes he would stop doing that.

He shrugs Yabu's hand off in annoyance. “Quit that, I'm not a kid.”

“How old are you?” Hikaru asks, leaning forward with genuine interest in his eyes just as Chinen returns, hopping back onto his chair and looks between them, trying to get a grasp of the conversation.

“None of your business.” Yamada snaps, but of course it just runs off Hikaru like water from a goose.

“Oh come on, we should get to know each other.” He encourages with a smile, and Chinen's eyes are lit up with interest while Yabu just sighs. “I'll go first. I'm 26.”

“What?” Yabu sits up straighter, looking like someone slapped him in the face, and Yamada's actually a little surprised since he would have pegged Yabu as older. “You're my age?”

“You too?” Hikaru asks, delighted. “What month?”

Yabu rolls his eyes as he crosses his arms and leans back in his chair again. “January.”

“Aw, December.” Hikaru pouts. “Almost a year apart then.”

“I'm born in November.” Chinen says, and Hikaru turns to him instead.

“Yeah? Early, late?” He asks, that look of kind interest on his face that he only gives Chinen.

“30th.” Chinen smiles, and then looks at the waiter arriving with their food, smile brightening even more.

“Oh, then we're close, I'm December 2nd!” Hikaru tells him excitedly and receives his food with a pleased 'thank you'.

Yamada sighs at the conversation topic since he doesn't see why it matters at all, but he just ignores it in favour of the huge pile of grilled chicken before him.

“Yabu-chan, what date are you born?” Hikaru asks around a mouthful of rice.

“31st.” Yabu seems as uninterested in the conversation as Yamada, but plays along to make them happy.

“Almost February.” Chinen comments, also with too much food in his mouth and it's almost hard to hear what he's saying.

Yabu just nods, busy shoving food into his mouth, but Hikaru turns to Yamada again, making clear he didn't forget about him. “Yama-chan?”

“Why?” Yamada inquires, waving his chopsticks in annoyance. “What'd you do with that information?”

“Get to know you better?” Hikaru explains, tilting his head in a gesture that is actually his own this time.

“I want to know.” Chinen says, his bratty tone enough to make Yamada's leg itch to kick him under the table.

“... If I tell you, will you leave me alone then?” Yamada finally asks, because he really just wants to eat in peace.

“For now?” Hikaru chuckles, and Chinen beams.

“Fine.” Yamada sighs. “I'm 23 and my birthday is May 9th. Have fun with that knowledge.”

Hikaru and Chinen both grin and start discussing that Yamada looks younger, drawing Yabu into the conversation, and Yamada makes a final remark about that Hikaru acts like he's seven and Chinen looks like it.

He returns to his food then, and is, as promised, left in peace until he has to pay and Chinen whines a little about dessert.

“We don't have time for dessert.” Yabu settles that argument firmly. “We have another train to catch. Let's get moving.”

 

~*~

 


	6. Chapter 6

It's raining even worse when they get out onto the platform again, after Hikaru insisted on visiting the bathroom and buying them some snacks first. Yabu folds up the collar of his jacket against the rain but drags his little herd with him out onto the platform, since there's only three minutes left until the train is leaving. He's starting to get a little worried it will be late though, considering the weather. There's no shelter on the platform, and the rain is so heavy they're already getting soaked.

"Nice weather today, ey?" Hikaru says, pulling his scarf up to cover half his face and wraps the cardigan he has as tight as he can around himself. Yabu looks at him, seeing for the first time how slim he is himself. Now doesn't feel like a good time to point that out though.

"No, I'm cold." Chinen complains, actually sounding miserable this time, and Yabu turns to him, about to offer him more clothing, but clearly Chinen already found a way to warm himself. He's pressing close to Yamada, who reluctantly lets Chinen slip in closer and under one edge of his leather jacket, most likely because Yamada's shivering himself.

Yabu feels a cold hand of parental worry clutching at his heart because seriously Chinen's shoulder has to touch those lethal guns, but the commotion of the train arriving to the platform distracts him from saying anything.

Their compartment this time is smaller and darker, the train clearly not as new as the previous one. But there are no big surprises there, it's taking them from one small town to another after all.

"I'm wet." Chinen says as he plops down heavily on the seat closest to the window, looking at the rain streaming down the glass, making the outside world blurry. "I don't like this trip anymore."

"Oh shush, take off your jacket and borrow something dry." Yamada tells him and sits down opposite, shrugging off his own jacket and making a pile of it next to him, undoing the fastenings of his gun harness and hides it under the fabric. Yabu sits down next to Chinen, setting his bag on the floor and opens it to drag out some kind of sweater Chinen can borrow.

Hikaru settles next to Yamada, unlacing his boots before pulling his legs up underneath him, burrowing down into his scarf and cardigan while quietly watching Yamada try and shake out water from his bangs, goosebumps on his bare arms.

"You cold Yama-chan?" Hikaru asks, concerned enough that Yamada looks up at him without even glaring.

Yabu's a little surprised, thinking that he can see the 'pretty' Hikaru keeps talking about a lot better now that Yamada's not scowling or looking like he wants to kill someone. Chinen's carefully twisting his arms out of his jacket, and Yabu gives him the only thicker sweater he's got left, a big black one with English words on it.

Yamada looks at Hikaru for a moment, but then turns away with a small "yeah", and Yabu can't help but feel like he just witnessed something important.

"Sorry, I don't have anything else that's warm." He says, shutting his bag again and takes off his own jacket since he starts to feel the moisture seeping in. "I only packed for a few days after all."

"I'm fine." Yamada says, but shivers visibly, and Hikaru unwraps his scarf to drape the dry side over Yamada's shoulders. "Hey, don't be ridiculous."

Yamada tries to shake it off, but Hikaru stops him with a small smile. "Either that or cuddle with me for warmth."

Once again, Yabu's surprised at Hikaru's obvious trait to take care of others as Yamada makes a face but reluctantly wraps the scarf tighter around himself as the train starts to move.

Chinen's busy pulling Yabu's sweater over his head and trying to roll up the sleeves enough for him to free his hands, and he's struggling in a way that makes Yabu's heart ache because it brings out memories he doesn't want to think about.

"I bought a deck of cards." Hikaru says, breaking Yabu out from his own head, and reaches into the white combini bag for a small packet. "Wanna play something to pass time?"

After the fourth time of losing at Go Fish, Yabu's getting pretty tired of it. He's too busy thinking about other things, like that the train slows down at certain places and shakes in the wind, that Yamada sits too close to his weapons and he keeps wondering when someone will recognize Chinen, that he never remembers who has all the sevens right now.

"I have five, I win!" Chinen cheers after having counted the neat piles before him on the small table.

Yabu frowns and looks down at his own single pile, the nines that he honestly just was lucky to get when Hikaru already had three of them. He doesn't really care too much about games, but after hearing the others being insufferable after they win, it kind of sucks to lose anyway.

"Are we done now?" Yabu asks, and Hikaru immediately points out that he just doesn't want to lose anymore, but Yabu only rolls his eyes and leaves Hikaru to teach Chinen a fairly simple patience that has something to do with laying out cards like a clock.

Yamada watches while leaning his head in his hand, probably just paying attention because there's nothing else to do. "What happens when he gets a king?"

Yabu has no idea about how the patience works, but looks at the circle of cards before Chinen on the table at Yamada's question.

"Then he just puts it in the middle and starts with a new card." Hikaru explains, then nudges Yamada with his shoulder. "Don't you know any patiences Yama-chan?"

Yamada frowns and inches away from Hikaru. "No, the only familiarity I have with cards are drinking games and poker."

Chinen looks up from the cards as soon as Yamada opens his mouth. "What are drinking games?"

Yabu and Hikaru both hurry to try and tell Chinen it's nothing he should know about and better wait and learn something else instead, and it makes Chinen look in confusion between the two of them while Yamada actually laughs. That's a first.

"I want to know!" Chinen insists, looking like he might stomp his foot if he could actually reach the floor.

"Maybe we'll tell you when we've arrived, if you behave." Yamada says, and Yabu has to give him that that was pretty clever.

Chinen pouts but promises to behave, then scowls when he loses Hikaru's patience and determinedly gathers the cards in his small hands to start over.

 

~*~

 

Hikaru watches Chinen lay out the clock patience seven times before he finally clears it, and he can't help feeling a little proud that he managed to teach the kid something.

"I did it!" Chinen squeals, making Yabu jerk and pretend that he wasn't falling asleep. Hikaru's a little concerned for him, since he still hasn't slept anything and that makes Yabu's awake session longer than 24 hours.

"Good job." Hikaru tells Chinen, who's so genuinely happy that it warms Hikaru's heart a little.

"Thanks!" Chinen smiles, and he's actually a pretty cute boy when he's not scowling or whining. "I've never done one of these before."

"Really, never?" Yabu asks, looking a little surprised. But that could just be that he's trying to keep his eyes open.

Chinen shakes his head and leaves the finished piles on the table as he leans back in the seat and seems to sink down into Yabu's large black sweater. "Nope. Mom doesn't like cards and dad..."

He trails off, and Hikaru bites his lip, the memory of the woman dying before him something he will never be able to shake. And even though he figures the others are probably right in that telling Chinen is no good, he still can't morally accept that they know his mother is dead and he doesn't.

"Your dad?" Yamada encourages, if a bit lazily, but Hikaru was certain he wasn't even listening to the conversation.

Chinen makes a face, that kind of uncertain face that kids do when they know something they don't want to talk about, while looking out the window. "I don't see him much. He's always working."

"That's pretty normal, right?" Hikaru asks, hoping to lighten the sudden tension that had settled in the atmosphere. "I didn't see my dad a lot either, not until he retired really."

“My dad will never retire.” Chinen mutters, crossing his arms over his chest protectively, and all Hikaru wants to do is pull the boy into his arms and hug him.

“Of course he will.” Yabu says gently, with something that looks like pain in his eyes. “Sometime.”

“Mm.” Is all Chinen answers, not sounding like he's listening, his focus on the little he can see from the environment through the streams of rain hitting the window.

“We're stopping.” Yamada comments slowly, and it takes Hikaru a second to get his mind out of the family issues before him and understand what he just said.

“Are we there?” He asks, and Chinen's face lights up with relief at the thought.

“No.” Yabu answers, just as slowly as Yamada, and with the looks they exchange, Hikaru can tell they're both worried about the same thing.

The train does stop, and judging from the lights outside there's a station, but it's difficult to see through the rain and dark sky outside.

It takes a minute before anything happens, and Hikaru can practically see alternative plans flash by in Yabu's mind while Yamada's slowly getting dressed.

Then there's a crackle in the speakers, followed by the conductor's apologetic voice explaining that due to the weather it's not safe enough to continue and the train will have to stop here. There will be more information whether they can continue later today or if the route will have to be cancelled, and if there are concerns please come see the conductor.

“... Shit.” Yamada comments after the message is over.

“Well, I can see their point?” Hikaru says, looking at the hammering rain and thinking about the way the whole train has shaken a bit from the wind earlier. “What do we do now?”

“Wait, I guess.” Yabu suggests with a deep sigh, leaning back in the seat like everything goes against him now. “If we don't get out of here today... I guess we'll have to think of something.”

Chinen looks between them with that vigilant expression, almost like they all suddenly betrayed him, and his voice is fragile. “I don't want to sit on this train for much longer.”

Yabu's about to tell him off, it's clear from the irritation grazing his features, but Yamada stops him before he gets a word out. “Kid's right though, we're all really tired. It's almost 4 pm after all, isn't it better we find somewhere to stay for the night and continue tomorrow?”

“He's right Yabu-chan, you should sleep.” Hikaru adds, happy for an opportunity to say it.

Yabu glares between them for a moment, but then sighs and agrees that it's probably a good idea. They hear people in the corridor loudly complaining to each other and there are bags slamming against their compartment door when people leave the train.

“We'll just slip out like everyone else.” Yabu finally settles. “Get dressed.”

 

~*~

 

The rain is pouring so much it's ridiculous. Yamada's even getting concerned for the functionality of his weapons, and they barely ran 200 metres from the platform to the waiting hall. There are a lot of upset and drenched people in there, a warm smell of moist textile filling the room to the point where it's almost suffocating. At least they're not very recognizable now, Yamada thinks grumpily, still he can't help but think Hikaru's bleach looks hilarious plastered to his forehead.

The announcement boards in the waiting hall give no more information than the conductor's voice had done on the train, and Chinen's whining so much he might actually start crying soon.

“I'm wet and cold and tired.” He tugs at Hikaru's sleeve, probably because he doesn't dare doing it to any of the other two. “I want to go home.”

Yabu looks like he's at the end of his patience, and in the few lapses in his self-control Yamada can see the ferocity he's always associated Yabu's name with. It should be a bit frightening, but honestly it's just interesting, and Yamada can't help finding some sadistic joy in Yabu losing his composure.

“We can't go home now.” Hikaru explains, seeming to have the patience of an angel as he takes Chinen's tugging hand and smiles softly before turning to Yabu. “Yabu-chan? Let's just find somewhere to stay, you're exhausted and we'll all get sick like this.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Yabu agrees, tone curt, and Hikaru clearly sees the need to step into the leader role.

“Good. Let's go this way okay? Looks central right?” He smiles and brings Chinen with him out one of the doors of the packed waiting hall.

Yamada breathes a deep sigh before following them into the rain, repeating to himself why he's doing this and what he's going to gain from bringing that whiny kid to Takaki to make it feel worth all this.

It probably takes them too long for Yabu's patience to find a pretty cheap hotel that's not completely full, because he's not the nicest when he talks to the receptionist.

“There's no room for four? What do you have then?” He purses his lips and rubs his temple.

“We have one for three?” The girl tries her best service smile, but Yabu's not affected and she seems to notice that. “If that's okay?”

“Sure, we'll take it.” Yabu agrees and impatiently waits for the keys before turning on his heel without even a thank you.

Yamada follows him, wet and cold all the way to his skin and he's not very interested in pleasantries either, but he hears Hikaru's charming, apologetic voice behind him.

“Sorry, we're all really tired. Thank you for your help.”

It seems to cheer up the girl since she assures him there's no problem at all, until Chinen whines that he's cold and Hikaru excuses them.

Yabu's ten metres ahead of Yamada, long legs and angry mood making him really fast as he ascends the stairs and turns a corner of a corridor. It's a pretty shabby hotel, Yamada assesses, half the walls dark panel and the rest a boring grey paint, an old dark red carpet on the floor and 'no smoking' signs a little worn at the edges. Yabu unlocks a door further down the corridor and disappears inside after sending a look down the corridor to make sure they all follow him.

The room isn't much better, Yamada thinks as he steps inside and stops next to Yabu. The wallpaper is a patterned green and white, bedspreads another pattern in brown and black that doesn't match, curtains some kind of white lace, lights and heater old fashioned. At least there are two beds and a couch.

“Finally, a room.” Hikaru sighs happily as he and Chinen join them, closing the door behind them all.

“Yes, finally.” Yabu sighs too, but his is more of relief. “We'll take turns to have a shower I guess, there's no other way to warm up after this.”

“Do we have dry clothes?” Hikaru asks, shrugging off his cardigan that hits the floor with an actual squelch.

“Not much.” Yabu admits. “A couple shirts I guess, suit pants, pyjamas? Go nuts.”

He drops his bag on the floor and sits down on a bed, looking them over. “Chinen-kun, want to shower first?”

Chinen nods miserably, taking off his shoes, and Yabu digs out the college shirt he borrowed on the train and his pyjamas pants for Chinen to wear.

Chinen closes the door to the small bathroom behind him, and Yabu immediately turns to fix Yamada with a stare while Hikaru seems not to notice and falls back on the other bed and rolls himself into the covers like a cocoon. Yamada raises an eyebrow, but not much Hikaru does surprises him anymore.

“We need to get food.” Yabu says when they hear the shower starting, and Yamada knows where this is going when Yabu's eyes doesn't leave him. “And I'm not leaving Chinen with Yamada, so either the two of us go or Hikaru goes.”

There's a groan from inside the cocoon and Hikaru unrolls himself, pouting. “Can't the two of you just get along?”

None of them answers, and Yamada has a feeling he's going back out into the rain.

“Fine, spend the time finding food trying to be friends.” Hikaru sighs, but burrows back down among the covers. “I'll take care of Chi, you'd both just get mad at him.”

It's probably the best decision from that aspect, Yamada reluctantly has to admit, but he's just taken off his wet jacket and he's not too hyped about putting it back on. But it's not like it's the worst thing he's ever encountered on a mission, he thinks, fingertips brushing against the scars under his T-shirt as he pulls the cold jacket back on.

 

~*~

 

Yabu eyes Yamada as they stand waiting for their take-away food. His hair is wispy from the rain outside, raindrops reflecting light on the shoulders of his leather jacket and he looks generally grumpy. Yabu doesn't feel much better, and he knows he needs to sleep tonight or he's not going to be able to make anything but bad decisions. He just feels really unsafe knowing what's under Yamada's jacket, and not knowing why they're there.

“I still don't trust you.” He says, voice casual and quiet to not draw attention from any of the few dinner guests at the small Chinese restaurant.

“I can tell.” Yamada retorts sarcastically.

“I hope so.” Yabu tells him, almost regretting starting the conversation because Yamada really is as difficult as a teenager.

“Look, there's no point in pretending we trust each other.” Yamada says, leaning forward to touch a little lantern with crystals hanging from the ceiling by the counter. “I don't expect you to, and I assume you don't expect me to trust you either.”

Yabu doesn't answer, thinking it's better to keep quiet.

“It's not like I can't tell we're the same.” Yamada continues, lowering his voice even more as he turns his attention back to Yabu. “I see what you're reaching for when you're caught off guard, for example. I also know that no ordinary person can get a stranglehold on me like that, or knows how to handle a gun. So let's just not trust each other.”

Yabu purses his lips, upset with himself when he gets this list of his slip-ups so far, but he doesn't get a chance to respond before one of the waitresses places their order on the counter in two white plastic bags and wishes them a good evening.

“Deal.” He finally says once they're outside, the rain not quite as violent now as it was earlier. It doesn't really feel better, but a little easier having it spoken out loud.

They return to the hotel room, where Hikaru's towel drying his hair on one of the beds and Chinen is spread across the other, chatting about something that could be variety TV-shows.

“You're both back in one piece, well done.” Hikaru praises as Yabu closes the door behind them and Yamada sets his bag down on the desk that is the only hard surface in the room besides the tiny bedside table.

“Shut up.” Yamada mutters, then quickly gets his jacket off and Yabu can see the goosebumps on his bare arms and the dark stains of rain seeping through even his T-shirt. Hikaru doesn't react with anything but a small smile at Yamada's words as he keeps drying his hair.

Chinen looks most interested in the food that smells like heaven even though it's probably cooled considerably from the walk in the rain.

“Shower, Yamada?” Yabu asks, because if Yamada isn't going, he definitely is, feeling chilled all the way into his bones and he's too tired to handle it, ending up feeling completely miserable.

“Yeah.” Yamada agrees, and after a long, assessing look at Yabu he unhooks the gun harness and leaves it on the desk. “Don't shoot anyone while I'm gone.”

“No worries. We might start eating though.” Hikaru says cheerfully, and Yamada rolls his eyes and disappears into the bathroom.

Yabu feels a bit like a drenched cat, and he sets his bag of food down too, then starts peeling the clinging pieces of clothing off of himself. Hikaru stands and starts investigating the contents of the white boxes with food, and Yabu notes that he's wearing one pair of Yabu's suit pants and only the towel covering his shoulders. The pants look surprisingly good on him, if a little tight and long.

“Chi, do you want fried chicken or shrimp?” Hikaru asks, and Chinen immediately picks shrimp, sitting up as he's served a white box and a pair of chopsticks. He looks cute, Yabu can't help but think, his hair still post-shower messy and those way too long sleeves rolled up around his wrists.

“Yabu-chan?” Hikaru asks while Yabu pulls a soft long sleeved shirt over his head. “What did you want?”

“Yamada wanted chicken so I'll have whichever is left.” Yabu says, and it feels so weird to take Yamada's preferences into account, he can't help but think as Hikaru chooses the other one with chicken and sits down on the bed again. Like they're a really dysfunctional family.

 

~*~

 

Yamada stares at the ceiling without really seeing it, even though shadows move across it when the rain hits the window in the moonlight. This is taking too long, too many hours that he doesn't have passing with meaningless nonsense like birthdays and favourite variety shows.

He sits up, irritated with himself for even feeling something when he looks at the occupied beds. Yabu was out cold as soon as his head hit the pillow, of course, since he hardly slept anything the night before, and they were all surprised when Chinen decided to sleep with him. He's curled up against Yabu like a puppy to its owner, and Yamada feels something like a hint of affection at the sight, which is a lot more than he's ever felt towards a victim and it's dangerous. He even feels something when he looks at Hikaru spread over the other bed, hair a mess and limbs tangled with the sheets in ways Yamada couldn't understand even if he tried.

It's dangerous to feel, and he needs to stop this right now before things get worse. He has no choice.

He stands from the couch, soundlessly moving across the room to get dressed in his own clothes. They're not dry, but they're not soaked either and it works. He keeps watching Yabu's peaceful sleeping face for any sign of reactions to the few sounds he makes, for example when he's lifting his guns from the wooden surface and refastens them, but there's nothing. It's not a clever thing not sleeping at all, Yamada knows, but at the same time he understands Yabu's reasoning.

He slips his arms into his leather jacket, and then stands at the edge of the bed, looking down at the sleeping eleven-year-old whom he's going to watch die within a few days if things go his way. It's a little bizarre thinking about it like that, because Yamada's never had any kind of personal relation to the victims before, not like this. He pictures it before him, bloodstains on those small cheeks, dark eyes open and unseeing, and it doesn't settle all well with him, almost makes him want to cringe. It's definitely time to stop this fucking family game.

He's pretty confident he can make Chinen come with him, he only needs to wake him up without waking Yabu too, which is what he's still considering how to do when he hears a sound. Something touching the wall just outside their room. He freezes, listening for it again, and above the breathings of the room's occupants he can definitely hear it again. Then there are steps. They're quiet, he wouldn't hear them if he wasn't already listening, but they definitely stop outside their door.

Silence.

Then the steps leave, followed by another pair, but Yamada's a hundred percent certain they weren't outside this door by accident. He leaves the thought of waking Chinen, instead heads for the door, heart beating loud in his ears as he leans against it to hear better. There are definitely still steps in the corridor, only further away. Then they stop, and they don't sound like they've grazed a stair. They're still on this floor. Yamada figures there's only one thing to do, and his hand automatically grips his own gun, cocking it with a small clicking sound that triggers his adrenaline to run high.

He listens for another second, before pressing on the door handle to open the door barely a few centimetres. He looks, but there's no one in the corridor, and he lets the door slide ajar properly. He glances both ways, but it's still just an empty corridor. He slips a hand into his pocket, making sure he has a key to the room in case there's nothing, and then steps out into the corridor, door sliding closed behind him and gun raised in preparation. He stands still for a moment, and if there isn't someone at the end of the corridor by the stairs he could hand his guns to Yabu willingly.

His steps are soundless as he approaches the corner, but he feels like his breathing is loud in the complete silence, until he stops just at the corner, back pressed against the wall and finger on the trigger. Then he takes a deep, quiet breath.

He whirls around the corner, reacting at the two silhouettes before him by grasping a shirt, slamming the owner of it against the wall and pressing his gun up under the man's jaw.

He recognizes the cologne and height the second before the man opens his mouth.

“Yeah, go on baby, shoot me if you dare.” Yuto's voice is deep and low, eyes shining with challenge in the dim moonlight coming in through the rain-streaked windows.

Yamada swears and gives Yuto a shove as he withdraws his gun and tries to calm his heart rate again, turning around just to find Daiki with a gun steadily aimed at him onehanded.

“What are you doing here?!” He hisses and Daiki gives a lopsided smirk before lowering the weapon.

“What's taking you so long?” Daiki counters with a raised eyebrow, voice low enough not to be heard through a door.

“It's... I...” Yamada breaks off with a frustrated sound and he feels like kicking something. “I ran into something unexpected.”

“Yeah, two more dudes.” Yuto chuckles. “Why not just get rid of them? I thought Dai-chan and I were the men of your life.”

“Takaki's getting sick of waiting.” Daiki tells him, the words with a clear warning behind them.

“I'm getting there.” Yamada growls back. “One of them... He's not someone you just get rid of. He's an Ivory. Or was. Yabu Kota.”

The name has the desired effect. Yuto's eyes widen in surprise while Daiki's narrow and his grip on the gun tightens.

“Yabu? The one who killed three of our guys some years ago?” Yuto inquires, his voice more fierce than joking now.

“Thought he was dead.” Daiki comments. “You don't leave Ivory alive.”

“Clearly he managed.” Yamada says curtly. “I'm bringing him, so I'd suggest you better practice your aim. Now you've got something to tell Takaki.”

Yuto sighs at his tone and gently brushes Yamada's hair behind his ear. “Always so snappy. We were just checking up on you babe.”

Yamada pulls away with a snarl at Yuto's cooing tone. “And I'm fine, now stop stalking me.”

“Ryosuke. You're not that hard to find.” Daiki's eyes glitter as he raises a pointed eyebrow. “You're just lucky we're the only ones who know what to look for. So far.”

 

~*~

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

When Yabu wakes up, he's not sure what woke him at first, he just recognizes the feeling of something missing. He blinks his eyes open and doesn't recognize his surroundings for two long seconds, frowning at the tasteless green patterned wallpaper until he remembers where he is. And that's when he knows what's missing. Warmth.

He sits straight up in bed and looks around. Chinen is nowhere around, and Hikaru's bed is a mess of sheets and blankets. The bathroom door is closed and Hikaru's cardigan and scarf are still hanging over the same chair they did yesterday, and so Yabu figures he's there.

Yamada on the other hand lies across the couch fully dressed save for his jacket, guns right next to him as he sleeps, and Yabu can see no reason for him to be dressed when he wasn't yesterday night.

He throws the covers aside and sets his feet on the ground, stepping over to Yamada and roughly shakes his shoulder to wake him.

Yamada's eyes fly open and his hand is already on his weapons before he recognizes Yabu and curses, throwing an arm over his eyes. "What?!"

"Where's Chinen?" Yabu demands, and Yamada lowers his arm again, staring at Yabu with alarm showing on his features.

"He's gone?!" He growls, then sits up to see for himself, and Yabu's eyes narrow. Yamada does look genuinely surprised. "... And where the hell is Hikaru?"

"I assumed... Of course." Yabu groans, rubbing his forehead with his palm in exasperation as he understands the situation.

Yamada gives a matching groan, then sits up and runs a hand through his messy hair. "I fucking hate that guy."

"Let's just hope they didn't go far." Yabu says stiffly, silently considering whether it was insane to blindly trust Hikaru. He might as well have run off with Chinen.

"How do we know he didn't just take the kid and killed him somewhere? We don't know anything about him really, besides his birthday." Yamada mutters, voicing the concerns Yabu doesn't want to admit he has as well.

"He's harmless." Yabu tells him, voice firm as he tries to convince himself too. "Come on. What time is it even?"

Yamada shrugs and stands up with a deep sigh, and once again Yabu's reminded of a teenager. The tired look on his face could be any sixteen-year-old who got woken too early.

"I don't fucking care I'm not going anywhere until I've had a cigarette." Yamada grumbles, rifling his jacket for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "And when we find them, I'm killing Hikaru."

Yabu's eyes narrow and he opens his mouth to protest, but Yamada cuts him off, cigarette between his lips as he's working on lighting it.

"I mean that in a metaphoric way, in case you needed explaining." He says around the cigarette, then sets the lighter back in his pocket and inhales a first breath of smoke.

Yabu gets a weird urge to laugh, and figures that he's crossed some kind of line now. It's almost as if he's stepped back in time somehow, to a time when so many bad things hadn't happened to him yet, and even though the feeling is relieving, he hates that it's Yamada who brings it out.

"Whatever." He mutters, then surprises even himself by snatching the cigarette from Yamada's fingers, leaving him gaping in surprise. "I need some of that."

"Damn, okay." Yamada says, eyebrow raised in scepticism, but then sighs and reaches back into his pockets to light a new one for himself.

 

~*~

 

"Yeah, he's like my little brother." Hikaru grins, giving Chinen an affectionate look, and the girl with the ponytail has stars in her eyes.

Chinen just beams, setting his hot chocolate down and he's in such a hurry assuring the girls that he's always wanted a big brother that he spills a little on the table. Which they of course also find adorable.

"That's so sweet." The curly-haired says, leaning her head in her hand as she looks at Chinen like she'd want to adopt him. "I love boys who can handle kids."

"Yes, there's not many who like kids these days. Most think they're annoying." The ponytail girl agrees and meets eyes with her friend, both giggling.

"It's not like it's different from liking anyone else." Hikaru grins, cradling his coffee in his hands and looks between the two girls. "They're people, just a little younger. You're just like any grown up, aren't you Chi?"

"Definitely." Chinen agrees, sounding important enough that the girls laugh and Hikaru grins.

He's not entirely sure how they ended up in this situation, but he doesn't mind, the girls are pretty and keep praising Chinen, who's basking in their affection like an attention-starved cat. Hikaru wonders how much attention he's used to getting.

They woke up and were hungry, so Hikaru dug out Yabu's wallet from the empty food bags, and they went out in the hunt for breakfast. Chinen chose the café because they had cake in the display window, and Hikaru's not one to turn down cake for breakfast. So they ended up sharing a big piece of chocolate cake, fighting for the best bits with their spoons, and the girls at the table next to them kept giggling shyly while trying to act like they weren't looking, and finally came over and asked if they could sit down.

"So, are you staying for a while or...?" The ponytail girl asks with a promising smile and a cute blush, and Hikaru's just about to open his mouth and answer when he sees someone rapidly approaching behind Chinen and he pauses.

"Yabu-chan?" He asks, because Yabu looks stressed and a little bit like a parent who lost their child in a supermarket, even though his expression fades the second he lays a hand on Chinen's shoulder.

Chinen turns to look up at him, surprised, and Yabu's entire posture relaxes when he most likely settles that Chinen's unharmed.

"You can't run off with him like that!" Yabu bursts out, and Hikaru tilts his head at the unprovoked outburst.

"I didn't." He says honestly. "We were hungry and didn't want to wake you. You needed to sleep."

"You still shouldn't-" Yabu starts protesting, but then seems to realize the girls are there and he frowns as he looks at them. "Doesn't matter."

"Did you worry?" Hikaru asks, smiling as Yabu grimaces and he knows it's true. "That's so sweet of you."

"Yeah whatever, now come on, Yamada's looking for you guys too." Yabu tells them, tone a little scolding and Hikaru smiles at how much Yabu sounds like a father.

"Oh." Chinen's eyes widen at the mention of Yamada.

"Come on." Yabu repeats, and Chinen obediently rises, politely telling the girls goodbye.

Hikaru's about to do the same, but bumps against the table when he rises and his coffee cup tips over, spilling coffee over the small table.

"Oh shit sorry!" He exclaims as the dark brown trails reach all the way to the edge and over it and the curly-haired girl hops aside to keep it from dripping into her lap.

"Oh it's okay, no worries, no worries!" She assures, giggling, but Hikaru's already grabbed the pile of napkins and hurries around the table to save her clothes.

Yabu rolls his eyes and tells Hikaru they'll be outside.

"... Is your boyfriend always like that?" The ponytail girl asks, and Hikaru laughs.

"He's not my boyfriend at all." He tells them with a smile, wiping coffee from the surface. "But he's always like that, yes."

"Is he your best friend?" The curly-haired girl asks, and when Hikaru looks up he's close enough to her face to count her eyelashes if he wanted to.

He smiles a little, thinking for a moment. "Yeah, he is."

"It's nice of him to worry about you." She says softly, blushing a little, and she's really cute.

Then suddenly Hikaru feels a grip on his arm and he yelps as he's pulled back forcefully, facing a guy that is much bigger and much less pretty than himself.

"Hey, what are you doing to my potential girlfriend?!" The guy growls, and Hikaru tries to pull his arm out of the guy's grip but it's impossible.

"Oh please!" The curly-haired exclaims and stands up. "Did you follow me? I'm _not_ going to be your girlfriend, let him go, I just met him!"

The guy clearly doesn't listen to her, and the girl working in the café just watches with wide eyes from over the counter, seemingly uncertain what she's supposed to do as the guy narrows his eyes at Hikaru and squeezes his arm tighter. "Stay away from her."

"I was just leaving actually, I didn't-" Hikaru starts, but the guy growls again.

"I can tell what you were doing you know." He says, and if this wasn't a café at 10.30 in the morning Hikaru would assume this man was drunk.

"Hey." A voice says behind the man, and both he and Hikaru turn to look at the owner of it. Yamada stands with crossed arms and a dejected expression. "Yabu sent me to save you."

"Yama-chan!" Hikaru exclaims, more than happy to see any kind of rescue, since he normally has to get out of these situations on his own.

"Can't you ever stay out of these things?" Yamada sighs, and the guy frowns at him, letting go of Hikaru's arm to turn to Yamada, whom he's at least half a head taller than.

"I don't like your attitude." He says and Hikaru hurries to take a step back to be out of reach, smiling reassuringly at the girls (the one behind the counter too), but they look horrified as the guy turns to Yamada instead.

"Yeah whatever. We don't really have time for this, so I'll just take Blondie and go without you causing any trouble." Yamada tells the guy, then gives Hikaru a pointed glance. "Let's go."

He turns, and Hikaru decides to round the table the other way on his way out, but the guy grabs Yamada's arm from behind to halt him, and one of the girls squeak.

If Hikaru didn't look exactly those two seconds, he wouldn't know what happened. Yamada whirls around and punches the guy straight in the face with enough force to send him stumbling backwards with a groan, then he trips over a chair and falls to the floor, and the whole thing is so fast that the girls' sounds of panic and surprise are a little delayed.

Yamada clicks his tongue at the guy on the floor, but then pauses in his turn to leave as he notices the girls sitting by the table. At least that's what Hikaru thinks he notices, until he leans forward, almost as close to the curly-haired girl as Hikaru was before, and easily plucks the strawberry sitting as decoration on top of her half-eaten cake.

"Thanks." He says, then pops the strawberry into his mouth and continues heading for the door.

Hikaru hurries to follow him after a glance at the disorientated guy on the floor trying to sit up while holding his bloody lip, and at the girls who stare after Yamada like he's some kind of hero who was gone as suddenly as he turned up.

"Show off." Is the first thing Yabu says, but he does sound a little relieved and Chinen's eyes are wide as he holds Yabu's hand _tightly_. They must have watched through the display windows.

"Shut up, I'm hungry and I don't know what patience is right now." Yamada tells him curtly, but looks at his hand and flexes his fingers a little.

"You saved me Yama-chan, thank you~" Hikaru tells him, but he refrains from hugging him this time since Yamada does look pretty wrung out. "Come on, we'll get you something to eat. ... Maybe some strawberries?"

Yamada looks up at that and he doesn't look quite as angry, which Hikaru thinks is a definite yes.

"And then we _seriously_ need to get moving." Yabu sighs, and Hikaru just smiles because he's so predictable.

 

~*~

 

“I don't want to go on another train!” Chinen whines so loudly Hikaru has to hush him to keep mothers from looking over in instinctive protection of a sad child.

“Well, we don't have much choice.” Yabu explains patiently even though he doesn't look very patient, motioning for Hikaru and Chinen to keep going.

“But I don't want to...” Chinen mutters, but reluctantly steps out onto the platform where they were stranded yesterday.

Yamada would like to agree with Chinen because he's pretty fucking tired of trains too, but he knows they have to get to Tokyo as soon as possible now.

He can't get the late night visit out of his head even though he tries not to think about it, and it keeps reminding him that Takaki's not happy with him. At all. And it scares him.

Yamada was trusted to get a hold of the kid because he's one of their best men. Takaki's favourite, as the others kept calling him, both in friendly mockery and in spiteful jealousy. Not that Yamada was too bothered by that. If they couldn't shoot as good as him, they only had themselves to blame for not having his position. Now he can't help but wonder what's going to happen to him even if he manages to return Chinen alive, and it sets him on edge. Takaki may like him, but the question is how much he still does after this glorious screw up.

“Yama-chan?” Hikaru asks mildly and Yamada jerks, cursing himself for spacing out. He can't keep doing that. “This is our cart.”

Yamada looks up to see their train before him, Yabu and Chinen already boarded and Hikaru waiting for him halfway up the short stairs.

“Right.” He mutters, then follows, the train looking just like the one they had yesterday that had to stop because of the weather. Maybe it's the same one.

“You're a bit off today Yama-chan, didn't you sleep well?” Hikaru asks, looking over his shoulder as he steps into their compartment, where Chinen's already curled up by the window, seemingly sulking.

“None of your business.” Yamada tells him almost automatically, and Hikaru just grins and slouches into the window seat opposite Chinen's.

“Well, now you seem like yourself again.” He comments, and Yamada rolls his eyes as he sits down, trying not to feel like he'll suffocate from another day on a train.

He shrugs off his jacket that honestly isn't entirely dry in the seams yet and drops it in a pile next to him as the train starts moving.

“Don't flash your guns like that, anyone could see you.” Yabu narrows his eyes when Yamada doesn't immediately unhook his harness too.

“Oh, quit the nagging, you sound like a dad.” Yamada rolls his eyes but reaches for the fastening of the harness.

“I think Yabu-chan would make a great dad.” Hikaru says, and Yamada sighs because of course Hikaru thinks so. “Because even though he sounds tough, he really cares, and that's a beautiful quality. I think he could make some kid's life awesome one day.”

Yamada is about to make a remark about all the cheesy stuff Hikaru blurts out, but then accidentally looks at Yabu and he freezes in the motion of removing his weapons from himself. Yabu's face is pale and he's staring straight ahead at nothing, looking like he just saw a ghost, and Yamada frowns.

“Like, can't you imagine Yabu-chan with a little kid? He's so nice to Chi, I bet he'd be even better with younger kids?” Hikaru continues, clearly oblivious to what's happening here for once and Yabu licks his lips nervously, his hands clasped together so tightly his nails are digging into his own skin.

“Hikaru.” Yamada tells him so firmly that Hikaru jumps. “Shut up.”

Hikaru frowns for a moment, but then looks at Yabu and his eyes widen in horror. “Oh my god. I'm so sorry.”

Chinen looks between them for a moment, but he seems more concerned than confused, and Yamada's a little surprised when he speaks, figuring the kid is smarter than they give him credit for.

“You are a dad, aren't you?” He asks, voice low as if to not upset Yabu, and Yabu heaves a sigh that makes his shoulders rise and fall.

“... I was.” He says, then looks up at Hikaru and Yamada, eyes fierce as if challenging them to judge him somehow, but when neither of them move a face, he lets his head drop into his hands. “He died.”

Yamada hates himself for feeling something right now, for feeling compassion, but he can't help it; even though a lot of important things suddenly makes sense to him now, all he can think about is how sorry he is for Yabu. And that _sucks_. He keeps a neutral face though, determined not to show anything.

Hikaru of course has no such restraints, looking like he might cry. “Yabu-chan I'm so sorry, I had no idea.”

“Of course you hadn't, you weren't supposed to.” Yabu mutters, taking slow deep breaths as if trying to keep himself from crying.

Yamada shifts, because he really doesn't want to see Yabu cry. No matter how much of an enemy Yabu is to him, he doesn't want to see him that weak.

Hikaru seems like he's too busy blaming himself to say something comforting, and so, Chinen is the one that takes action. He crawls across the seat and lays his arms around Yabu's shoulders in an awkward hug, because he's so small he almost doesn't reach around, but it seems to be enough for Yabu, who breathes a heavy, shaky sigh and leans into Chinen's embrace.

“What happened?” Hikaru asks, but his voice is so distraught that Yamada figures he's excused from normal courtesy rules like 'don't ask about someone's dead child'.

Yabu doesn't answer for a few moments, and Chinen looks at Hikaru and Yamada like he wants to help but doesn't really know how to. Hikaru opens his mouth to say something else, but then Yabu gently grabs Chinen's arms and unwraps them from himself, and his eyes are a little glazed but he looks okay.

“I...” Yabu starts, but then looks straight at Yamada for a moment and falls silent, and Yamada has a feeling of what's coming. “My wife and son were shot to death by policemen.”

He says finally, sounding a little mechanic, and Hikaru's face makes it look like he's in physical pain while Chinen sits back, looking confused. He probably is. Policemen in his world can only do good, Yamada thinks bitterly as he pictures what Chinen's father must have told his son.

“Accident?” Hikaru asks finally, seeming a little confused himself.

Yabu shrugs, biting his lip for a moment before seeming to remember he has to keep a strong face. “The policemen were charged for it, but it didn't get much attention. … He was four years old.”

Yabu glances at Yamada again, almost involuntarily, and Yamada doesn't bother hiding the understanding on his face.

“But, why would they do that?” Hikaru tries, still not catching on to anything and Yamada is pretty sure he won't either.

Yabu doesn't reply for a long while, but when he does, all that weakly comes out is “I don't know”, which is definitely a lie.

It's cruel, Yamada thinks, but that's how their world is. If you are highly ranked in a gang like Ivory, the police will have no qualms dispatching of you in any way possible. If they can't kill you, they'll find another way to get to you. That's why it's fucking stupid to have people close to you, and a family with a child is definitely the top of stupidity. There's a reason Yamada hasn't seen his family in years. Even if the police doesn't go to such lengths often and never officially, there are definitely other people who would.

It's ironic, because it's exactly what they're doing now, Yamada can't help but think. Taking someone's kid and killing them to get to them because they're invulnerable in all other ways.

“Yabu-chan... That's... I'm so sorry.” Hikaru apologizes again, and he does look heartbroken.

“You didn't know.” Yabu almost snaps, and it's easy to tell he doesn't want to talk any more about the subject.

They're all a little surprised when Chinen speaks up, his voice sounding small, like his entire world was just turned upside down. “I don't understand. Aren't the police supposed to help people?”

“It's not always that simple.” Yamada answers, tone short, and Yabu looks up at him, a little surprised.

“Why not?” Chinen asks defensively, the sudden maturity gone in favour of being eleven years old again.

“Why don't you ask your dad about that when you see him?” Hikaru breaks in before Yamada can give a reply, and that's probably for the best.

Chinen sinks back against the backrest, nodding slowly as he seems to be deep in thought trying to understand about Yabu's family.

Yamada feels a little confused himself, but mostly because he doesn't have a smile to try and contain. Because he understands now, can connect Yabu's mysterious disappearance from Ivory to him still being alive, because if there's something a leader would let you out for, it's losing everything you have for their sake. And to be fair, Akanishi is so reckless the whole business with Yabu's family could easily have been his personal fault. And rumours said that they were close, so there is definitely a possibility that Akanishi would let Yabu go even if he'd sworn himself to Ivory.

Otherwise, Yamada knows, Akanishi has a habit of shooting his own men who tried to back out on him.

He watches Yabu closely, and somehow he can't feel pleased with this new knowledge that Takaki would die to hear, because he also understands why Yabu's so protective of Chinen, and the struggle he must feel knowing who Chinen's father is.

If Yamada's entirely honest with himself, right now, he doesn't want to smile at all.

 

~*~

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

The mood doesn't recover during the remaining train ride, even though Hikaru makes some attempts at lightening it. Chinen is deep in thought and uncharacteristically quiet, Yamada's got his arms crossed and staring another direction, and Yabu feels like he's being suffocated.

He's so, _so_ stupid. He decided that he would never speak of it again. Try to forget and do his best to recover. After those months he spent hating himself, wanting to tear his heart out because it hurt so bad, wondering what the hell he was still doing here when they were gone, it took Jin punching him straight in the face and yelling at him to just go get shot if his life was pointless anyway for him to promise to try and survive.

Eventually, he moved north, got a boring business job that he hates and just kept existing. He got a cat. The only creature he's been able to show some affection these past years. His life was durable, actually. And then he did one good deed in solving Hikaru's problem, and this is what he got for it.

He glances at Chinen, who's frowning while picking with a loose thread in his small jacket, and Yabu's heart physically stings.

He keeps reminding himself that at least he'd wanted to just leave Chinen and his mother there on the shore, not get involved. He used to be a tough guy, he's seen some things no one should have to see, and he'd tried to keep that up. He really tried. But then Chinen started talking, looking scared, asking for his mother and rolling up his too big sleeves and Yabu couldn't stop caring.

“Yabu-chan?” Hikaru says, and Yabu looks up, the first time during the ride he's been addressed directly and it's honestly a favour pulling him out of his own head. Hikaru looks a little concerned, but then he smiles softly. “We're almost there, aren't we?”

Yabu looks out the window, noticing houses and that the train is slowing down, and he thinks that those hours passed very quickly. They're changing trains here, the last one heading straight for Tokyo, finally.

“Yeah, we are.” He says, then clears his throat because it sounded a little too choked. “Get your things.”

Yamada rolls his eyes but starts getting dressed, but Chinen just stares out the window.

“Just one more train.” Yabu says in what he hopes is a reassuring tone, but no one seems to listen to him.

Eventually the train stops and they stand up, getting into the narrow train corridor to get off the train, and Yabu instructs Hikaru where they're heading because he's first, just waiting for a an elderly couple to get off the train.

“Yeah yeah, I'll find the way.” Hikaru waves him off with a smile.

Yabu rolls his eyes and he's just about to tell Hikaru he's not going the right direction as he exits the train himself, when he hears something that makes him whirl back around.

“Oh, sorry sir... Oh. Hello Nakamura-san.” Chinen says, and as Yabu turns, Chinen's bowing politely next to him, and a man with a business briefcase stands frozen on the last step down to the platform, staring at Chinen like he's a ghost.

It takes Yabu half a second to assess the situation, quickly grabbing Chinen's wrist and turning, meeting the man's eyes for one too long second, then starts running with Chinen in tow.

He doesn't see Yamada or Hikaru anywhere, but figures that's just good, and he can hear the man scream something about catching them behind him.

Chinen's not a fast runner, and he tries to ask Yabu what's going on, but Yabu's only focus is to get out to where no one's already seen them.

When they get into the station building, he slows down to a normal hurried pace, allowing Chinen to walk next to him, and he relocates so he holds Chinen's hand instead of his wrist to look less suspicious.

“I don't want to run, why are we running?” Chinen whines, trying to keep up with Yabu's quick steps.

“You need to be quiet and do as I say now.” Yabu says so harshly that Chinen actually shuts up, his hand tightening a little on Yabu's like he's scared.

Yabu's mind is racing with possible ways to get out, wondering how long it will take until they seal off the station and start checking everyone closely, and how they'll possibly leave this place without being noticed. But step one is that they have to get out of here.

His heart is pounding with adrenaline as he tries to look normal and like he's just in a hurry somewhere and still make sure Chinen's going as fast as he can, holding on to his hand tightly.

He nearly turns and punches someone when a hand pointedly touches his shoulder in the crowd, but then there's a voice in his ear that keeps him from turning, even from slowing down.

“Meet us here.” Yamada says and there's something slipped into Yabu's pocket, and then the presence behind him is gone again, and this is probably the first time Yabu's felt relieved that Yamada is no ordinary person.

He gets outside the station, and just turns left without knowing anything about where he's going, but he knows they need to get away from the station area.

They walk two blocks and into an alley with small shops before Yabu stops, and Chinen whines, breathless.

“What's going on?” He asks, voice that ridiculously bratty tone.

Yabu doesn't listen, instead reaches into his pocket to see what Yamada gave him. It's a well folded tourist map, and when Yabu spreads it out, Chinen falls quiet to see what he's doing. It takes a little while to find it, but then Yabu sees the circle in pencil around a forest area at the edge of town, luckily not in a completely different direction than the one they've already taken.

“We're going to take quite a long walk now.” Yabu tells Chinen while folding the map so he can see the important parts. “We're meeting Yamada and Hikaru there, so we should hurry, okay?”

He holds out his hand for Chinen, who looks hesitant for a moment before taking it and they start walking again.

“I'm hungry.” Chinen complains, and Yabu is too high strung on adrenaline to keep himself from laughing at that.

 

~*~

 

Hikaru sits down on the ground in the woods with a sigh, looking up at Yamada a little helplessly. “Are we here now?”

“Yes.” Yamada agrees, setting the bag down next to Hikaru before turning back to look in the direction of the neighbourhood they passed on their way here, which is at least a kilometre away.

“... What even happened?” Hikaru asks, because Yamada hasn't talked to him more than short instructive sentences since he grabbed Hikaru's arm on the platform. And some occasional threats for Hikaru to shut up.

“Someone recognized Chinen.” Yamada says without turning, and Hikaru nods slowly.

“I figured as much with the whole emergency plan.” He says, because acting like they had nothing to do with Yabu and Chinen and going to buy stuff like matches and some blankets and food isn't exactly their normal routine. “You were awfully quick there.”

Yamada turns to look at Hikaru over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised like he doesn't understand, so Hikaru elaborates.

“Your course of action. It was really quick. It was cool.” He says, thinking about how Yamada had barely needed a second to find a map and slip one to Yabu without making it obvious they had anything to do with each other, while Hikaru still didn't understand what happened.

“... Thanks.” Yamada says after a moment, like he's not sure what he's supposed to answer to that, then turns back to look towards town.

“... Will they find us here? The police?” Hikaru asks after a moment, because he doesn't have a clue about how things like this work.

“I hope not.” Yamada says sincerely, and Hikaru can tell he's starting to let his adrenaline levels lower. “We'll consult with Yabu when he gets here.”

Hikaru stays quiet for a moment. “Are you sure he'll get here?”

“Aren't you the positive one?” Yamada asks, tone suddenly irritated as he whips out his cigarettes from his pocket, and Hikaru smiles. It's easy to tell he's worrying too but won't admit to it.

“Sorry.” Hikaru says, still smiling as he watches Yamada light his cigarette. “Do you think they'll take long?”

“I don't know.” Yamada mutters, and Hikaru figures that maybe Yamada needs some silent time for his nerves to calm down. He'd like to honestly ask what his problem is, because there is something strange about Yamada lately. But he feels like Yamada is on the verge of punching him in the face right now, so he settles for leaning back against a tree and enjoying being out in the woods.

It's not until he hears a loud snap of a branch and he jerks that he realizes he'd been dozing off, and he blinks his eyes open to see Yabu and Chinen make their way through the trees.

Yabu has almost the same expression on his face as Yamada; tired and looking like he wants to punch someone, while Chinen's mumbling complaints, sounding like he wants to cry.

“Finally.” Yamada tells them when they step into the tiny clearing they've settled in, but he sounds a little relieved under the hard tone.

Yabu spares him a glare and then tosses Hikaru's scarf to him. They'd decided to hang it in a bush where they turned from the path in the woods, as if someone had dropped it, since it was the only item they could think of that Yabu and Chinen would definitely recognize.

“Thanks.” Hikaru smiles at him, but Yabu doesn't even spare him a look.

Chinen on the other hand nearly falls to the ground next to Hikaru and leans in to hide his face in Hikaru's shirt, which surprises Hikaru a little but he figures neither Yabu nor Yamada give off a very friendly vibe right now.

“Are you okay?” Hikaru asks softly and wraps an arm around the boy, because he can almost feel how much Chinen wants to cry.

“I want to go home I'm so tired.” Chinen mumbles into his chest, and Hikaru just hugs him for a moment, feeling the tense little muscles slowly relax.

When he looks up, both Yabu and Yamada are watching him warily, but when he tilts his head in question they turn to each other instead and it almost looks a little comical.

“That took you some time.” Yamada comments, and finally sits down, looking at Yabu who also folds his legs underneath himself and sits down on the ground.

“We couldn't exactly just walk the main streets, could we?” Yabu asks. “Chinen's not very fast either.”

Chinen makes a small sound of protest into Hikaru's shirt at that.

“Well he's half your height?” Hikaru suggests gently, fingers sifting through Chinen's hair that's a tiny bit moist with sweat.

“I know.” Yabu sighs, features softening like his stress comes out with the deep breath. “I was pretty scared they'd find us a couple times.”

“How bad is it?” Yamada inquires, his tone still serious as he keeps looking around.

“Not too bad honestly, most of the sirens I heard were behind us. I guess they don't think we would go this far, or even know where to go.” Yabu says thoughtfully, and Yamada nods slowly. “This is probably good enough for now. We'll just need to figure out how to get away from here.”

“Yeah.” Yamada agrees, then sighs as well. “Guess this was just a matter of time.”

“I'm just happy you're both here, Yama-chan hasn't been very pleasant.” Hikaru says, which makes Yamada roll his eyes but Yabu actually smiles.

Chinen shifts, lifting his head and leans against Hikaru's shoulder instead so he can look at them.

“I hate you all.” He mutters, and it sounds as if he tries to be fierce but it just comes out a little broken. “I never want to be alone with Yabu again. I want to go home to my bed.”

Yamada pointedly looks away, which might be just as well since Hikaru can see his fists clenching, and Yabu opens his mouth to start saying something when Hikaru decides enough is enough because this whining has a pretty obvious cause.

“Hey, Chi. We bought cream bread, do you want some?” He asks, effectively cutting Yabu off, and Chinen looks up at him, eyes a little glazed as he nods.

Hikaru grins as he reaches for the plastic bag with different kinds of combini food, and Yabu mouths 'thank you' to him over Chinen's head.

 

~*~

 

Yamada looks into the dancing flames of the fire he strictly opposed and can't help but get flashbacks from when he went camping with his dad and sisters more than ten years ago. They'd had a fire and grilled marshmallows and it was perfect even though his older sister teased him about his stick catching fire, and he almost misses his family a little.

He didn't want to light a fire now, it felt way too risky, but then Chinen said he'd never been camping and Hikaru started insisting, and when Yabu gave in, Yamada didn't have much of a say.

Secretly, he thinks it's nice, warming enough that he's taken his jacket off.

“We should have had a guitar.” Hikaru says longingly, and Yabu rolls his eyes.

“This is not a camping trip.” Yabu reminds him, but he doesn't seem to care too much.

“No I know, but when will we ever have a real camping trip together, huh?” Hikaru wonders, tilting his head and looking pointedly at Yabu. “So this will have to do. Especially since Chi's never had one.”

“I want to go on a real camping trip with you.” Chinen says, sounding like he likes that idea. His mood grew considerably better after some food and rest, even though he still complains about Yabu being mean. “Can we, please? Promise?”

Hikaru laughs and tells him sure, sure, it's a promise.

Yamada frowns a little, because the thought of that should make him smug that Chinen will never have an opportunity to go camping with anyone again, but instead it just feels unsettling.

_Think of your friends who died_ , Yamada tells himself, but even the faces of the friends he'll never meet again can light that bloodlust in him right now. And that scares him.

“It'll be fun! Yama-chan can be the angry teenager who sits in a corner and sulks.” Hikaru says, seeming content with that idea, and Yamada looks up at the mention of his name. “He's good at that.”

“Oh shut up.” He tells Hikaru, not really in the mood, and picks up a pine cone and throws it at him. It probably doesn't help defying his image as 'angry teenager' but he feels better when he hits Hikaru in the head.

“Ow!” Hikaru laughs, ruffling his own hair, and Yamada can't help but smile just a little. Hikaru's smile is contagious, unfortunately.

“How comes you've never been camping?” Yabu asks Chinen, his long legs stretched out away from the fire. “Don't your parents like it?”

Chinen looks up at Yabu, who's opposite him with the fire between, and his smile falters. “My parents don't like anything.”

“... Huh?” Hikaru asks, leaning forward enough to see Chinen's face.

“They don't like me doing things out of the house.” Chinen explains, voice turning upset as he pulls his legs up to his chest protectively.

“So you're always home?” Yabu inquires, and Yamada bites his lip because he doesn't want to know more things about Chinen that makes him even more like a person.

“I go to school and my acrobatics class.” Chinen shrugs slowly. “I can take friends home, but I can't go to their place.”

Hikaru frowns, and for once the dislike in his expression is serious. “Is it because your father is a policeman?”

Chinen shrugs again, looking into the fire without seeming to see it. “I don't really know much, mom just tells me to do as dad says and everything will be fine. She says I can bring as many friends home as I want, but I want to go to their place too.”

“... What are they gonna do in a few years when you want to go on dates and stuff?” Hikaru asks, but Chinen just wrinkles his nose at the whole idea of going on dates.

“Girls are annoying, I won't want to go on dates anyway.” He mutters, and Yamada sees Yabu smile like 'yeah right'.

“You can go on dates with boys too, you know.” Hikaru says, and Chinen turns to look at him with a confused face.

“You go to acrobatics?” Yabu quickly breaks in and Yamada tries to conceal his grin at Hikaru's offended expression.

“Yeah.” Chinen says, immediately lighting up. “I can do a backflip.”

“Really?” Hikaru asks, not one to be upset for long. “I can't even reach my toes.”

“Well, you're really old.” Chinen says as Hikaru reaches for his toes with straight legs to prove his point, and Hikaru turns to him with such shock that Chinen starts laughing.

“I'm not _really_ old, brat.” Hikaru tells him and shoves at him so hard he almost falls over Yamada, but they're both laughing.

“Hey, watch out.” Yabu says loudly as Chinen crashes against Yamada's side, and Yamada's confused at Yabu's shrill tone until he remembers he wears his gun harness. “Can't you put those away?”

“Don't be so worried, they're not dangerous on their own.” Yamada rolls his eyes and lets Chinen linger against his side, because come on, Yabu knows that.

Yabu just looks back at him like he still completely disapproves, then his eyes go wide and Yamada feels a pressure against his ribs.

When he turns to look, Chinen's poking curiously at Takaki's gun, and there's definitely an irony in that which Yamada's not so sure he wants to laugh at.

“I don't even know how a gun works.” Hikaru shrugs, and Yamada looks over Chinen's head at Hikaru, who watches them curiously.

“You've never tried shooting?” Yamada asks, and Hikaru laughs and shakes his head.

“No, I've never really had the chance.”

“I can teach you if you want.” Yamada offers before he even thinks it through, and everyone seems about as surprised as he feels himself, Yabu's eyebrows practically up at his hairline while Hikaru's mouth falls open a little bit.

“... Sure?” Hikaru agrees, and Yamada nods once to himself, figuring that there's no harm in teaching Hikaru to shoot. It's not like he'd ever aim a gun at something that moves.

“Get up then.” He says, and gently pushes Chinen away enough that he can stand up himself, and Yabu opens his mouth as if to protest but no words come over his lips.

Hikaru stands, looking mostly fascinated as Yamada removes his own gun from his harness and takes the few steps over to Hikaru.

“Here.” He says, handing the gun over, and Hikaru's eyes widen as he accepts it.

“I have no idea what to do with this.” Hikaru admits, staring down at the weapon in his hand like it would start firing on its own.

Yamada snorts. “Just look at it first.”

He points out the parts, and Hikaru's focused face as he listens makes Yamada grin. He doesn't usually get to teach people anything.

“So first you need to load it. Which is already done here.” Yamada starts, and takes the gun back to show Hikaru how to, starting with taking the magazine out since he keeps his guns loaded but secured. He glances to the side as he does and sees Chinen watching with big eyes and Yamada raises an eyebrow. “Doesn't your father have one of these?”

Chinen shakes his head. “I've never seen one before.”

That sounds a little weird, Yamada can't help but think, but figures it doesn't matter, if he's teaching one he might as well teach two. “Well come here then and look you too.”

He barely has time to finish the sentence before Chinen's by his side and looking just as attentive as Hikaru, and Yamada can hear Yabu's disapproving noise but doesn't look up.

He slowly goes through how to load and double check the gun once, then hands it over to Hikaru, who looks almost scared at getting the gun back along with the magazine.

“Just do it, I'll tell you if it's wrong.” Yamada says, and it feels a little strange to see Hikaru's long fingers fumble with the magazine. Like the gun shrunk, except that it's just Hikaru's hands that are bigger than his own.

He does well though, if a little slow and nervous, but he manages to load it properly.

“Great.” Yamada tells him, and Hikaru smiles at the praise until he's instructed to do it again.

He repeats it and gets a little more secure, so Yamada figures that's good enough.

“Good. You probably shouldn't shoot for real because it's really loud.” Yamada says, and Hikaru nods, still focused on the weapon in his hand. “So, you should hold like this.”

He reaches out and helps placing Hikaru's hands as good as he can, making sure he aims into the darkness and nowhere else. “Your dominant hand closest to the gun, steadily, and then support with your other hand. It's heavier than you think when you have to hold it straight.”

“Is this right?” Hikaru asks, his grip unprofessional but it looks correct.

“Yeah, looks pretty good.” Yamada agrees, then decides showing is probably the best way to teach this.

He takes Takaki's gun in his own hands and aims into the woods too, making sure Hikaru looks at how he holds. He can shoot with just one hand, but going back to basics is good for both Hikaru and for Yabu, who's watching them closely from across the fire.

Yamada explains how to aim properly, the brief theory about seeing depth and what to look at, and Hikaru looks at him in surprise.

“You really know your stuff, don't you?” He asks, still holding the gun aimed at nothing.

Yamada raises an eyebrow but can't help a small smile as he puts Takaki's gun back. “Yeah? Didn't you think so?”

“Sure, I just... I've never seen you use them. Nevermind.” Hikaru shakes his head. “And now, do I just... pull the trigger?”

“Basically. Hold your breath is a good starter tip, or you might miss completely.” Yamada says, and he sees Hikaru's finger move to the trigger. “There's a first stop before it actually goes off. If you pull past that it fires.”

“... This is scary.” Hikaru mutters, then pulls the trigger enough to feel the first resistance. “Can I do it all the way?”

“Yeah.” Yamada agrees, and he finds it fascinating to watch Hikaru as he pulls it the whole way back and it just clicks since it's still secured. The nervousness on his face but the determined way he holds the gun, even though he knows there's not even going to be a shot fired.

“If you shoot for real it would retaliate.” Yabu suddenly says, and Yamada turns to look at him, and sees that he's watching Hikaru with the same fascination Yamada feels. “So you should be prepared for that.”

“... You know how to shoot Yabu-chan?” Hikaru asks, lowering the gun.

Yabu shrugs, and Hikaru doesn't press the matter, just unloads the gun after Yamada's instruction and hands it back.

“I'll probably never have any use for that.” He grins as Yamada accepts the gun. “But thanks anyway.”

Yamada shrugs and turns to Chinen, who looks anxious in both meanings of the word. “You wanna try?”

Chinen nods immediately, and Yamada gives him the gun a little reluctantly.

Chinen is clearly a good observer, since he loads the gun properly with his small hands, a huge contrast to Hikaru's, and Yamada knows all eyes are fixed on Chinen right now.

Yamada leans down to help him aim, the gun too heavy in Chinen's hands, so he covers them with his own to help him hold still, and Chinen looks almost stunned when he pulls the trigger the whole way back with some effort.

“Wow.” He says as Yamada takes the gun back and Yabu visibly relaxes. “I wanna try to shoot for real some time.”

Before Yamada can stop himself he laughs because he'd like to see the face of Chinen's dad if he was told that. “You should talk to your father about that.”

“I will.” Chinen promises, still a little too excited to seem to think that through properly, and Yabu loudly wonders if Chinen's going to sleep at all tonight with how hyped up he is now.

“Hey.” Hikaru nudges Yamada when he sits down. “You should laugh more often. You're too young to be so serious all the time.”

He's not exactly being quiet, but none of the others seem to hear, and Yamada's too stunned about the comment to react properly.

“Just saying.” Hikaru grins, then joins the other conversation when Chinen says he wants more candy.

Yamada looks at Hikaru for a moment, then returns to looking into the fire, feeling oddly bothered by what he said. _You're too young to be so serious all the time._

 

_~*~_

 


	9. Chapter 9

Yabu wakes with a jerk to a hand on his shoulder at what seems to be the crack of dawn, cold all the way into his bones and he's pretty sure he's got something foresty stuck on his face.

"Get up, we should leave." Yamada's voice tells him, but he doesn't sound like it's a matter of life and death, so Yabu relaxes a little and sits up, trying to force his brain awake faster than it wants.

When he's finally aware enough, he sees Yamada standing before him and holding up his hand to show something, a satisfied expression on his face.

Yabu squints in the little light there is since the sun hasn't risen yet, and makes out a metal form that couldn't be anything else than what he thinks. "Is that... A car key?"

"It is." Yamada confirms, putting the key in his pocket and heads over towards where Chinen and Hikaru are curled up together much closer than they were yesterday night. Probably due to the cold. "The earlier we can leave the better."

Yabu adjusts his clothes, yawning, and he raises a hand to rub his cheek, where there was apparently a needle stuck. He's cold and the moisture from the night and early morning clings to his clothes and hair and skin and it doesn't make anything better. All he wants to do is light the fire and cuddle up next to it, but Yamada's right, they should definitely leave.

He watches Yamada shake Hikaru and Chinen awake and firmly tell them to get up and that they can sleep again soon.

"Did you steal it?" Yabu asks suspiciously, standing up to start gathering their things together.

Yamada scoffs. "What do you think?"

That answers no questions at all, but Yabu decides he's probably better off not knowing how Yamada came in possession of that key.

"What's going on?" Hikaru yawns loudly, sitting up on the ground and his scarf falls off of him in the process. Yabu would like to laugh at how Hikaru's hair looks, but he's too wrung out to actually do it. Sleeping outside wasn't a very good idea.

"Yamada's got us a car. Get up and we'll head for Tokyo." Yabu explains, picking up blankets and shaking the forest off of them before stuffing them in his bag.

“A car?” Hikaru blinks, not quite having both eyes open yet, and he looks between Yabu and Yamada like he doesn't know what that is. “How?”

“Does it matter?” Yamada asks in his ordinary grumpy mood, then frowns as he looks at Chinen who promptly went back to sleep. “Get him up so I don't have to, will you?”

“Sure.” Hikaru agrees with another huge yawn, and spends the next two minutes waking Chinen and then trying to hush his whines about being tired.

By the time Yabu and Yamada has efficiently erased the traces of them being here, Chinen's standing up but still whining and looking mostly asleep as he leans against Hikaru.

“Come on.” Yamada orders after a quick assessing look at them, and turns to guide them out of the forest.

Yabu tries not to yawn as they walk, but he can't keep from shivering as his body tries to get back to normal temperature, and Hikaru has no restraints with his yawning and it's contagious. Chinen keeps mumbling in a small voice about how tired he is and that they're mean and he wants to go home, which Yabu's just grateful that Yamada doesn't hear.

Or so he thought at least, since when they can spot rooftops through the trees, Yamada abruptly stops and turns around.

“Hey.” He snaps, staring straight at Chinen. “You need to be quiet now. You can sleep again in five minutes in the car, okay?”

Chinen looks up at him, blinking helplessly, but nods since Yamada's eyes practically says that if Chinen doesn't shut up on his own, Yamada will make him.

Yabu is actually a little surprised that Chinen agrees, but then sees how Hikaru holds his hand and figures it could have something to do with that.

“Calm down.” Yabu says, because something about Yamada is way too stressed for it to be good.

Yamada just sends him a look Yabu can't read and turns around again.

Even though Yabu told Yamada to calm down, he does the complete opposite himself when they walk a graveled path between two gardens and onto the street. He keeps looking from one dark window to the next, convinced that someone will look out at any moment and report them. He wonders where the police assumed they went. Since they think there's only him and Chinen, they could still think they stayed in town somewhere. He just hopes there are no roadblocks.

Yamada simply steps up to a black shiny car and unlocks it, and except for once glance around, he seems perfectly confident, like this is his car and no one should question it.

Yabu knows he should act the same, tries to, but there are too many windows that could be watching them right now.

“We'll be in the back.” Hikaru says and opens the door to the backseat without waiting for an answer, letting Chinen in before him.

Yamada opens his mouth to say something, but then seems to decide against it, and turns to look at Yabu instead.

“... You're driving?” Yabu asks, not exactly surprised but he can't help but think about that Yamada has probably slept the least of them.

“Is there a problem?” Yamada raises an eyebrow, and his voice is challenging enough that Yabu gives up and simply walks around the car to take a seat on the passenger side.

Chinen is already asleep against Hikaru's side, while Hikaru doesn't look far from it as he peers out the window.

It's a fancy car, pale leather seats and shiny details, and Yamada looks a little out of place as he settles in the driver's seat in his worn leather jacket and unwashed hair.

“You should change your clothes.” Yamada says as he adjusts mirrors, and for a moment Yabu doesn't understand what he means. “In case someone sees you you could at least try not to look exactly like you did at the station.”

He's right, Yabu supposes, and even though he's still freezing he shrugs out of his jacket as Yamada starts the car and they both glance around for lit windows. There are none.

“Hikaru, give me a shirt.” Yabu leans back to ask as soon as they're out of sight from the house this car definitely belonged to.

Hikaru blinks and needs a few seconds to focus on Yabu. “We're out of clean shirts by now.”

“Whatever, just give me something.” Yabu tells him, even though the idea of putting on dirty clothes isn't exactly making him happy.

“You need to read the map first.” Yamada says, nodding pointedly towards the glove compartment, and as Yabu gets a green T-shirt that smells like sweaty Hikaru put on his head at the same time as he picks out a huge map from the compartment, he wonders if he shouldn't have chosen the backseat instead.

 

~*~

 

When Hikaru wakes up, they're already on a highway and the sun is on its way up, lighting things in beautiful gold and it makes him think of all the early mornings he's seen in wonderful places.

There's no sound, besides the low ones from the car, but no one is speaking and it's surprisingly peaceful. Chinen is still sleeping heavily against Hikaru's side and it doesn't look very comfortable. In fact, Hikaru's not very comfortable himself, squished against the car door and his cheek rests just below where the window starts. He shifts, groaning a little at how his neck feels, but at least he's more awake now than he was earlier. And warmer, which is definitely the best part.

He sits up properly and then gently adjusts Chinen's position against his side to make it more comfortable.

“Good morning.” Yamada says so suddenly Hikaru jumps even though his voice isn't loud.

He looks up and meets Yamada's eyes through the rear view mirror, and he doesn't look nearly as stressed as he did earlier this morning. Now he just looks tired.

“Good morning.” He smiles back, ignoring how his hair looks like he's been a week in the jungle and starts needing a root bleach. “Where are we?”

“Frankly, I don't know.” Yamada replies quietly. “Yabu's asleep so I just follow the signs.”

“... I'm happy Yabu-chan's sleeping, he needs it.” Hikaru says softly, glancing at Yabu and notices that his posture is too relaxed for him to be awake. Yabu looks much younger when he's asleep. “He worries too much.”

“You've never considered you're the one worrying too little?” Yamada asks, but he's more interested than spiteful.

Hikaru just grins. “Nah. I've always done fine like this, and worrying is just a needless pain.”

Yamada is quiet for a moment, and when he speaks, Hikaru is not sure exactly what they're talking about anymore. “I think everyone worries about their lives.”

“My family worried enough for my sake.” Hikaru shrugs, because it's true, then frowns when Yamada's eyelids flutter once. “... Do you want me to drive for a while?”

That has Yamada raising an eyebrow sceptically. “You have a driver's license?”

“Of course I do.” Hikaru laughs. “Well, not with me obviously, but I can drive. You don't think much of me, do you?”

“I don't know anything about you.” Yamada retorts, but it seems like he's looking for somewhere to stop. There's not much traffic at all, so it must still be really early. “Just your birthday.”

“See, that's something.” Hikaru smiles. It's nice talking to Yamada without the snappy tone.

That disappears when Yabu stirs and cracks his eyes open, looking like he's upset he fell asleep.

“You were supposed to wake me if I fell asleep.” He accuses, voice heavy with sleep and Hikaru can't help a small laugh. “Do you even know where we are now?”

Yamada rolls his eyes and the snappy tone is back in place. “Yes. Go back to sleep or something, I'm letting Hikaru drive.”

Yabu turns to look at Hikaru over his shoulder, his facial expression almost pained, and Hikaru smiles back at him questioningly.

Yabu turns back with a groan. “Well then I won't be sleeping anymore.”

 

~*~

 

Yamada wakes to something tugging at his jacket, and it's not a pleasant awakening since he immediately sits up straight, ready for anything, but just faces Chinen's surprised expression. He hates being woken up, since he always expects the worst when he's not fully conscious.

“What?” He mutters under his breath, falling back against the backrest and closes his eyes as he wills his heart rate to calm down.

“We're in Tokyo.” Chinen says, and he can't keep the excitement out of his voice as he tugs at Yamada's jacket some more.

It makes Yamada open his eyes and look out the window, recognizing the city setting even though they're definitely at the outskirts of town. They're also not moving.

“Where are we?” He asks, voice still rough as he turns towards the front seat where Yabu and Hikaru are studying a map.

“Good morning.” Hikaru looks up and smiles, clearly not very invested in the map after all. “Yabu's working on that right now.”

“In Tokyo.” Chinen says again, looking across Yamada out the window, and if Yamada wasn't so tired Chinen's excitement would have been amusing.

“We should leave the car somewhere.” Yamada mutters, since it's apparently already morning and it's definitely reported stolen by now.

“I want to take the train!” Chinen exclaims, and Yamada liked him better when he was asleep.

“I want coffee.” Hikaru looks longingly out the window, and Yabu breathes an irritated sigh without taking his eyes off the map. It doesn't look very detailed.

“There's a train station two blocks from here.” Yabu finally says, and they all agree that just leaving the car and heading there is their best shot.

“We don't exactly look city chic though.” Hikaru points out with a worried frown as they've made sure there's nothing incriminating left in the car and are heading towards the train station after Yabu's directions.

He's got a point, Yamada thinks as he looks at them. Their hair and clothes are dirty, and they all look exactly like they slept in the woods and haven't had a shower in days.

“We're not exactly going to blend in.” Yamada mutters, and Yabu frowns.

“We'll fix it somehow.” He mumbles, his concentration clearly on Chinen who's looking at everything with wide eyes and a small smile like he's never seen anything like this.

They meet a few people, mostly businessmen since it's still early in the morning, but since every single one gives them weird looks, Yamada is getting more and more convinced that they need to freshen up somehow if they don't want to be caught by the first policeman who walks by.

They turn the corner and see the station sign, which is about as relieving as it's unnerving, and after another woman gives them a weird look, Yamada leans over to Yabu again while they're waiting for a green light to cross the road. “We need to fix it soon, this isn't working.”

“We'll just check in somewhere-” Yabu starts, but they're interrupted by a hesitant voice from behind.

“Hikaru?”

Both Yabu and Yamada turn like the word had burnt them, quickly enough to see Hikaru's eyes widen in shock before he turns around too.

“Inoo-chan?” He asks, facing the man who had apparently asked.

There are two men, both staring at Hikaru like they can't for their life figure out what he's doing here. The one Hikaru addressed has a fancy black coat and fluffy brown hair, the other dark hair and he looks more concerned than surprised. They both look overdressed for an early morning walk, and their entire ensemble makes Yamada certain they've been out all night rather than felt like an early walk.

“What are you doing here?” The brunette asks, eyebrows knitting together in confusion as he looks first at Hikaru, then the other three. “Are these... Friends of yours?”

Yamada glances at Yabu to see that he's hauled Chinen in close to him.

“Oh, long story.” Hikaru smiles, and Yamada wonders who this is and if they should run or just smile and wait. Not that he's smiling anyway. “But yeah, they are.”

“... Okay.” The brunette still looks hesitant, but keeps focusing on Hikaru, which is more than can be said about the other man. Yamada feels his stare and stares back, which makes the man quickly look away, but unfortunately that makes his gaze wander, and when he sees Chinen his eyes widen in recognition.

“Kei...” He starts, sounding on edge as he steps closer to the brunette. “Look at the kid.”

The brunette does, and after a second his eyes widen, staring from Hikaru to Chinen with slightly open mouth.

Yamada glances at Yabu, who looks back at him and with a few glances and raised eyebrows they agree on how to proceed if this turns bad.

Chinen looks confused, which seems to by default make him open his mouth. “Are you Hikaru's friends?”

Both men startle, like they didn't expect him to be able to speak, and exchange a look of confusion, before the brunette seems to collect himself and smiles. “Yeah, we are.”

“Do you live here?” Chinen asks, smiling back, his Tokyo-excitement taking over any confusion.

“... Yes, just a few blocks from here.” The brunette replies, still giving Hikaru weird glances.

“... Do you have a bathroom?” The question is a little embarrassed, and it makes Hikaru laugh, while Yamada and Yabu exchange another look.

The brunette breathes an awkward laugh too. “Ehm... Sure. Come along, we were heading home anyway.”

“Can we really?” Hikaru asks, and the other man looks like he's about to protest, eyes wide in shock, but the brunette nods with a small, almost affectionate smile in Hikaru's direction.

“Yeah. I have some things that are yours anyway.”

 

~*~

 

This wasn't going like Yabu had planned at all, he thinks as the apartment door close behind them, but in a way, it could still work. They still don't know who these people are, except that Hikaru apparently knows them.

Yabu had fallen into step with Yamada at the back once they started walking, deciding that if this turned out to be a trap, Yamada would take Chinen since he knew Tokyo better, and settled a place to meet up. The dark-haired man with the suspicious eyes kept glancing over his shoulder at them, while the brunette who seemed to know Hikaru best listened to Chinen's Tokyo questions with a small smile.

“The bathroom is over there.” The brunette points towards a door, and Chinen hurries over there as soon as he's gotten his shoes off, leaving the five adults in the hall, the brunette's smile slowly fading.

“What's going on here?” He asks after a long look at the three of them, but he seems much calmer than the dark-haired who keeps looking like he wants to run away. “He's that missing kid from the news, isn't he? And who are they?”

“He is. We found him.” Hikaru starts, explaining how he'd met Yabu since he didn't have any money, which makes the brunette cringe guiltily, then how they'd found Chinen and his mother at the shore of the river, and how Yamada had come to help.

It's probably a good thing that Hikaru's telling the story, Yabu realizes where he's standing closest to the door, because it sounds honest and innocently logical coming from him. The brunette seems to eat it up, while the dark-haired doesn't appear quite as convinced.

Another thing that Yabu is impressed by in Hikaru's version is how he doesn't mention any characteristics in him or Yamada, nothing about the guns or how they've been watching each other all the time. It sounds like they're all just friends.

“Well, that's... Wow.” The brunette says when Hikaru's finished, looking at the dark-haired like he needs some kind of support.

“How do you know each other?” Yamada asks, his voice not exactly hostile but still demanding, and the dark-haired gives him a long, strange look.

“Oh, uhm...” Hikaru bites his lip, and the brunette looks a little sheepish.

“Well?” Yabu raises an eyebrow too after a moment of silence, wondering what could possibly render Hikaru speechless.

“Well, we were...” Hikaru starts, motioning pointedly between himself and the brunette, and he actually looks a little embarrassed. “But then... Yeah.” He motions half-heartedly towards the dark-haired, who mostly looks awkward, and it takes Yabu a while to understand. The realization hits him pretty hard, but he tries not to let it show on his face.

“... These are the friends who left without you, yeah?” He asks instead, crossing his arms, and the brunette's guilty look is all the answer he needs.

“I'm Inoo Kei, this is Okamoto Keito.” The brunette introduces a little awkwardly.

“I'm Chinen Yuri.”

Yabu quickly turns to see Chinen standing there next to Hikaru and he wonders for how long he's been there.

“Pleased to meet you.” Inoo smiles, while Okamoto looks suspiciously between Yabu and Yamada.

“Yabu Kota.” Yabu says, since Hikaru simply addressed them with the nicknames he'd made up for them.

Yamada doesn't seem very keen on saying anything, arms crossed and looking much more suspicious than Okamoto does, but eventually gives his family name, even though both Inoo and Okamoto seem to wait for a given name.

Hikaru just laughs and says Yamada's a very private person, which makes at least Inoo smile.

“Look, Hikaru...” Inoo starts, glancing around and his tone is apologetic. “Sorry about leaving you like that. And about accidentally taking your bag.”

“It's okay, it's okay, don't worry Inoo-chan.” Hikaru smiles. “I'll forgive you. We'd appreciate it if we could just freshen up a little now that we're here though?”

Either this Inoo Kei is a very generous person, or he has a really bad conscience, Yabu figures when he's sitting by a kitchen table in borrowed clothes while his own are in the laundry. Hikaru's in the shower, Chinen's walking around the apartment and looking out windows along with Okamoto and babbles happily since he's had breakfast, while Yamada sits opposite Yabu and has refused to even remove his jacket.

“Here's his bag, so I don't forget.” Inoo says and sets a leather shoulderbag down on the table. It looks exactly like something Hikaru would own, pretty worn and old but somehow it fits him.

Yamada grabs the loop of the strap and pulls it towards himself, shamelessly lifting the lid to look inside.

Inoo opens his mouth to say something, but Yamada raises his eyebrows in an obvious 'yeah so what?' glare, so he closes it again with a small awkward smile, seeming uncertain of what to do with himself.

“Tell me about Hikaru.” Yabu asks Inoo on a whim, because if anyone in their little group is a mystery, it's Hikaru.

Inoo looks surprised for a moment, then sits down on the chair next to Yabu with a small smile.

“Holy shit.” Yamada says suddenly, and Yabu looks up to see him holding an open wallet and several 10,000 yen bills.

Yabu just gapes for a moment before remembering to control himself, because he'd just accepted Hikaru as not even owning a wallet.

“... He's from a wealthy family. You didn't know?” Inoo asks, looking surprised.

“I know his birthday.” Yamada comments calmly, picking out a card that looks a lot like a driver's license from a pocket and looks at it.

“Sounds like the first thing he'd say about himself.” Inoo smiles softly.

“Does he have a job?” Yabu asks, leaning back a little in the chair to be able to glance over his shoulder to see Chinen still looking out the window with Okamoto.

“He has an education?” Inoo replies. “He just got the degree though, then ran off to travel around abroad instead. His family was furious, but I don't know that much about it, honestly. I met him in Indonesia.”

It sounds like Hikaru, Yabu thinks, and the way he so easily decided to attach himself to Yabu makes much more sense now.

“A fantastic trip in many ways.” Hikaru suddenly says and Yabu looks up to see him toweling his hair dry in the doorway, grinning. “Want to shower Yabu-chan?”

 

~*~

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

It's weird, because it smells so familiar even though he's never been here before. He knew Keito had an apartment in Tokyo, but he never expected to run into them just like this. It must be fate, Hikaru thinks as he sits down on the couch and looks around the living room.

He must admit that it hurts a little seeing their items already mixed together so soon, like they've lived together for a long time. But most of these things must still be Keito's. The guitar is definitely Keito's because Inoo couldn't handle that if he tried.

Hikaru doesn't think twice before rising to pick up the shiny black instrument and then sits down again, strumming a few chords. It sounds nice, so he keeps going, picking out a gentle melody without really thinking.

Yabu's in the kitchen with Chinen and Inoo, and even though Keito most likely doesn't have anything to say to them, he's there too because he's obviously very uncomfortable being alone with Hikaru. Poor thing, Hikaru can't help but think, because he's not one to hold grudges, so it's a shame things has to be awkward between them.

"Hikaru?" A small voice says from the doorway and Hikaru looks up from the guitar to see Chinen, but doesn't stop playing.

He's not very surprised, because he's had a feeling that Chinen badly wanted to say something to him ever since Hikaru got out of the shower half an hour ago.

"Yes?" He asks, a little concerned, because Chinen's face is very serious under his still damp bangs and the clothes he's borrowed are ridiculously big on him again, making him look so small.

"Can I talk to you... About something?" Chinen asks, glancing towards the kitchen like he's going to get caught, and Hikaru easily understands that it's something Chinen doesn't want Yabu to hear.

"'Mmhm." He agrees, smiling and patting the cushion next to him before continuing to play.

Chinen comes closer at the invitation, crawling up next to Hikaru in the couch. He gets so close they're touching, and Hikaru wonders what he's so insecure about, wants to help him fix it, but figures there's no point in pushing him.

"I can't play guitar." Chinen mumbles, leaning against Hikaru's arm as he presses even closer.

"It's not very difficult." Hikaru smiles. "If you just learn a few chords you can play thousands of songs."

"Mm." Chinen mumbles, and Hikaru stays quiet and waits, just gently playing to keep it from being too quiet.

It takes a few moments, but Hikaru understands the question before the words leave Chinen's lips, understands from the way small hands wrap around his arm and Chinen's shaky breath.

"... Is my mother dead?"

The question is innocent but at the same time knowing, like he just needs confirmation, and Hikaru doesn't know what to say, his heart clenching because he can't lie but it's such a horrible thing to say.

He sets the guitar aside and wraps his arms around Chinen's small shoulders instead, pulling him in close to his chest, and he feels the smaller body start shaking at the same time as Yabu shows up in the doorway looking like he's about to panic about losing his child.

His features does this funny thing of first showing relaxation and then immediately knitting back into worry as he takes in the scene.

He seems like he doesn't know what to do, opening his mouth like he wants to ask something, but Hikaru gently shakes his head and he closes it again. If Chinen didn't want Yabu to overhear the question, he probably didn't want Yabu's comfort right now either.

Yabu stands still in the doorway for a moment, looking at Chinen crying into Hikaru's T-shirt for a reason he clearly doesn't know, and he looks so helpless Hikaru's heart hurts even more, and his arms involuntarily tighten around Chinen as if he can hug them both that way.

But Yabu turns and leaves, heading back to the kitchen to distract Inoo and Keito most likely, and Hikaru lets Chinen cry until he's just taking deep breaths and his shoulders have stilled.

“I saw the papers.” Chinen mumbles, and if he hadn't been speaking into Hikaru's chest, he wouldn't have heard him. Hikaru bites his lip, thinking that it was stupid of them not to remove things like that, but then Chinen continues. “But I already knew.”

“You did?” Hikaru asks quietly, raising an almost numb hand from where they're wrapped tightly around Chinen to stroke his hair instead.

“She's my mother.” Chinen whispers, but his voice is thick and he sounds just like he's about to start crying again.

“I know.” Hikaru agrees, and lets his hand trail from Chinen's hair to his chin, gently lifting his face so they can look at each other. His eyes are red and face blotchy, and he raises his sleeve to wipe his nose, but doesn't look away from Hikaru. “So she's with you, right?”

Chinen bites his lip, and a fresh tear rolls down his cheek, but he nods slowly, and Hikaru pulls him close again because Chinen deserves all the love he can give.

 

~*~

 

Something is off when Yamada exits the bathroom and he finds Hikaru and Chinen standing before him. Hikaru has this sad look in his eyes and Chinen has definitely been crying; Yamada catches a good look of his eyes and nose all red even though he quickly slinks past Yamada into the bathroom and pulls the door closed behind him.

Hikaru just looks at Yamada with a small smile that doesn't appear very genuine.

"Feels good to be clean right?" He asks, and even though it definitely does, Yamada's not thrown off that easily.

"What happened?" Yamada demands, voice low but authoritative enough for Hikaru, who sighs in defeat immediately.

"He knows about his mom." He says quietly, the pain reflecting in his eyes and Yamada feels like he was just punched in the chest.

"Oh." Is all he says, not sure he can get his voice to work for more, but Hikaru is clearly not paying attention to his reactions as he just goes on.

"He was devastated, of course, but I think he handled it well." He says, still as quietly. "He's really brave."

Yamada doesn't know how to respond to that, but thankfully Yabu steps out of the kitchen and announces that their clothes should be done and they could get going. Preferably now.

Hikaru cheers and goes to get his clothes, leaving Yamada standing there listening to the running tap in the bathroom and trying to figure out what this reaction is.

Deep down, he already knows, but he could never go as low as admitting he feels guilty.

The door opens behind him again and Chinen steps out, still a little red and puffy, but he looks very fine for an eleven year old just learning his mother died. He looks up at Yamada meekly, and Yamada doesn't know what to say, because a part of him wants to apologize, and it's so wrong he can't even move.

Then he feels eyes on him and immediately turns to meet them with a glare, and Okamoto jumps where he stands in the doorway and drops his gaze immediately with what appears to be a blush on his cheeks.

"Your clothes are clean." Yamada finally manages to say without really looking at Chinen, and Chinen nods and heads for the laundry, while Yamada continues glaring at Okamoto, wondering what his problem is.

They all change into their clean clothes, and since Yamada didn't agree to have his own clothes laundered, he borrows a T-shirt from Yabu instead. It was mainly the shower he needed anyway.

Yabu changes into a classier outfit that has none of the pieces he was wearing when they were spotted on the street, and Hikaru actually gets clothes that look like they're outerwear and not just a cardigan.

They pointedly don't discuss any plans before leaving, because Yamada for sure doesn't trust Inoo and Okamoto, which means Yabu doesn't either. The thanks and goodbye is definitely awkward even though Hikaru chatters on like nothing is wrong as usual, with Chinen quiet and shy and Yamada and Yabu barely talking.

“I hope they don't report us.” Yabu mutters as they step onto the street again, Chinen's hand securely in his as they head for the station.

“They won't.” Hikaru assures, smiling, and he looks almost fashionable now with his blonde hair, a suit jacket and that leather bag. “Inoo-chan has too much conscience.”

“It's the quiet one I'm worried about.” Yabu tells him pointedly, and Yamada has to agree.

Surprisingly, Hikaru bursts out laughing at that. “Seriously? I'd be surprised if Keito even remembered your names with how busy he was ogling Yama-chan.”

“What?” Yamada's question comes out as horrified as he feels before he can control it, and he immediately regrets opening his mouth.

“Please, didn't you notice? He couldn't take his eyes off you, you must be the prettiest boy he's ever seen or something.” Hikaru smiles over his shoulder, and Yamada is about to snap something back because what the hell, but then the light turns green and Hikaru's focus shifts to crossing the street.

 

~*~

 

There is something wrong with Chinen, and Yabu has a creeping feeling he's the only one not knowing what it is. First off, Chinen hasn't said a word since they left the apartment, and earlier he just wouldn't shut up about everything he saw. And second, that crying with Hikaru was definitely not something small. And the reason Yabu feels left out is because Yamada is completely unbothered by the situation, almost seems to avoid looking at Chinen rather than constantly keeping an eye on him like he normally does.

But then again, Yabu recognizes grief when he sees it. So maybe he doesn't have to be told what is wrong, because he almost knows, he just doesn't want to put it into words. But he still feels selfishly left out because no one _tells him_.

They barely speak until they're inside the station, standing before a massive chart of train lines and looking like generic tourists, which is just what they were aiming for.

“So we're here...” Yamada points at a station very far out on the map, in the North West corner. “And we're supposed to get here.”

Yabu vaguely recognizes the station name, but he's too worried looking at how ridiculously central it is and how many train changes they'll have to manage without being recognized.

“How do we do this without being caught?” He asks calmly, and Hikaru groans and leans on his shoulder.

“Yabu-chan, you're never very positive, are you?” He asks, and Yabu almost wants to smile. But he doesn't.

“I'm a chronic realist and we need a plan B and preferably C too.” He points out, and Yamada waits out Hikaru's dramatic sigh before talking.

“We should decide how to split up in case something happens.” He says, and he's obviously about to keep talking, but trails off just when Yabu feels Chinen's hand slip out of his and Chinen determinedly steps over to Yamada.

“I'm going with you.” He says firmly, and everyone looks about the same degree of surprised for a moment, even though Yabu's mostly surprised that he's talking again. Chinen clearly likes Yamada best for some reason he can't figure out.

Hikaru finds himself first.

“Well, that leaves you and me.” He smiles and nudges Yabu's shoulder. “You were saying, Yama-chan?”

Yamada glances at Chinen once more, then turns back to point at the map. “If we lose each other we'll meet here. There's a café just outside the west exit, we'll wait for each other there until four o'clock. If the others don't show up by then, we'll stay here over night and meet at seven in the morning tomorrow, also west exit. Okay?”

He turns from the map where he pointed out two different stations about half way to their goal and seemingly safely far enough from the straight route they'd take.

“Yes, that sounds good.” Yabu agrees at the same time as Hikaru asks Yamada to please say that again. “You're with me Hikaru, I'll remember for you.”

“Not if you lose me!” Hikaru points out, and Yabu has to admit to himself that that's a valid point, and lets Yamada repeat it again.

“Then should we get going?” Yamada suggests, an eyebrow raised at Hikaru, and Yabu is just about to agree when Hikaru opens his mouth again.

“Can we please get coffee first? Just a take-away? I saw this reeeally nice place a little further down and a caramel latte never killed anyone right?” He smiles hopefully, and Yabu rolls his eyes to tell him no, definitely no.

“I want one too.” Chinen says then, and just like that Yabu's ready to agree on coffee, silently beating himself up for being so easy for seeing the kid happy.

“Didn't you say you don't drink coffee?” Hikaru asks sceptically, and Chinen frowns, reminding a lot of his brattier self again and even that's a relief.

“I don't, but they have other things than coffee, right?” He argues, and Hikaru grins.

“Come on then.” He says and starts walking without waiting for any affirmation from the other two. “What are you getting, hot chocolate?”

Chinen hurries to follow him, lighting up at the thought of hot chocolate, and Yabu's ridiculous heart feels like it finally found the surface after being held under water.

Yamada sighs and glances at Yabu. “Oh what the hell, I need some coffee myself.”

Yabu rolls his eyes but follows them. “This is the kind of thing that's going to get us caught.”

“Or it'll completely save us.” Yamada says, and even though Yabu wants to ask him to please elaborate that, he decides that maybe he should just order coffee and shut up for once.

The first train works fine, they're riding it for almost 40 minutes and Hikaru's slowly luring Chinen back out of his temporary shell by pointing at everything weird he sees and commenting on it. Yabu also has a feeling that the hot chocolate with cream helped.

The first train change has Yabu's nerves on edge, and he feels like everyone is staring at them for too long, but nothing happens.

Chinen's talking again, asking things and tugging at Hikaru's sleeve every other minute to point at things outside the windows. It's probably their saving grace, Yabu thinks, because he doesn't appear very kidnapped like that. He's also starting to suspect that the fact that Chinen's talking to Hikaru helps further, because he sees people just glancing at them and then lingering their gaze on Hikaru's hair for a moment.

It's not that odd being blonde in Tokyo, but apparently it still makes people focus on Hikaru's hair rather than what's around him.

“Where are we now?” Chinen asks when they walk down the stairs at their second change station.

“Closer?” Hikaru suggests, and Chinen frowns and tells him that's no good answer, but Hikaru just grins.

And then it happens.

“Excuse me sir.” A voice says behind Yabu just when they've come down the stairs, and he can feel his own pulse speed up, tries to keep breathing slowly and pretend he didn't hear.

“Stop.” The voice is louder, and Yabu feels a firm hand on his shoulder.

He's already thinking of possible escape routes as he turns around to see a man in security uniform staring at him with narrowed eyes.

“I'll need to see your identification.” The man says, his voice suspicious while glancing behind Yabu as if he's looking for someone.

Yabu doesn't turn around, just frowns in confusion for show, and he hopes that Chinen's already far away and won't be found by any security guards. But he can see another man, this one's colleague definitely, talking quickly into a walkie-talkie of some sort and Yabu's heart sinks because _no_.

“Identification. Now.” The man before him urges, but Yabu has no intention of showing it, considering if it's worth it to just turn and run or if he should play stupid and give them some more time to get away.

“There will be no identification.” A very familiar voice says suddenly, and before Yabu can even react Yamada's stepped up just behind the security guard, gun pressed firmly against his ribcage without it being obvious what's going on for someone just passing by.

The guard's eyes widen in shock, glancing down at the weapon pointed at him and his face goes white.

“I'd suggest you stay silent and I'll let you go.” Yamada says calmly, looking over the man's shoulder at Yabu and darts his eyes towards the stairs to the platform they just came from.

The hint is obvious and Yabu doesn't hesitate more than a second before turning and walking back to the platform with hurried steps, making sure not to look like he's running, thoughts spinning in his head.

He gets on the train that's standing on the platform without knowing where it's heading, just walks far into the cart and keeps his gaze low. Just when the doors close he hears sirens further away, and his heart beats like crazy while he can't stop thinking about why the hell Yamada would stay behind for his sake.

 

~*~

 

“Do you think blueberry or cinnamon muffin is the best?” Hikaru asks, glancing between the two types he can't decide between.

“Blueberry.” The waitress smiles cutely, and Hikaru figures she knows what she's talking about. “It's the more popular one.”

“Then I'll have that.” Hikaru decides, looking at Chinen. “What do you want?”

“The big chocolate cake.” Chinen says without hesitating, pointing at some massive chocolate creation through the glass.

Hikaru grins and ruffles his hair while the girl behind the counter laughs.

He also buys Chinen another hot chocolate and a strong coffee for himself.

They're at the café by the west exit, and it's already 2 pm. It took them some time to get here, since Hikaru needed a while to figure out the train lines, but it's a nice café, half full and calm.

He wonders how Yamada knows of this place because it seems way too fluffy and date-y for him to ever come here, but that might just be prejudice.

“How long are we going to wait?” Chinen asks when they've sat down at a small table further in the back but with a slight window view. There's only a plant with long leaves in the way, which works great, Hikaru thinks, so no one will see them from the street.

“I don't know.” He says honestly, because he doesn't. He didn't even understand what happened, suddenly Yamada had just grabbed his arm and told him to take Chinen, walk to another station and go to the café they had decided, and then he was gone again.

It wasn't that difficult to figure out that someone must have recognized Yabu, but he didn't know what Yamada was planning to do about it or how they were going to meet later.

He just walked with Chinen, hearing the sirens behind them at the station they just left. He figured it was smartest to just keep pretending nothing was wrong, and it seemed to work since nobody reacted at seeing them even as they went to the next train station to find a good new route.

“I hope they're okay.” Chinen mumbles, and Hikaru smiles.

“I'm sure they are. We wouldn't have gotten here without them, would we?” He asks, and Chinen nods slowly, looking at his chocolate cake without much appetite now. “Hey. It's Yama-chan, he'll fix things.”

That seems to help a little, since Chinen nods slowly and reaches for his spoon.

They eat, chatting about what they're having and Hikaru eats some of Chinen's chocolate cake for him since he only gets halfway through before whining about not wanting anymore, it's too much.

They're in the middle of a conversation about foods they like and not when Hikaru suddenly feels a presence behind him and he turns to look up just as Chinen falls silent.

Yamada sits down on the chair next to him, looking resolute but calm as he glances at them and at their plates.

“Yama-chan.” Hikaru says, relieved to see at least one of them back in one piece.

Yamada opens his mouth to say something, but he doesn't get a word out before Chinen's slipped from his chair and rushed around the table to hug Yamada, tight.

The shock on Yamada's face is funny, but mostly Hikaru's focused on how cute it is that Chinen hugs him, and he can tell how worried Chinen's really been even though he didn't let it show.

Yamada doesn't seem to know what to do, completely thrown off from his earlier focused expression as he glances at Chinen's head as well as he can, hands frozen in a half-raised motion as if to push him away.

“You could hug back you know.” Hikaru says, mostly to see Yamada's reaction to it but also because it would help Chinen. “You're not exactly going easy on our nerves.”

He doesn't expect Yamada to do it. But he actually raises his arms and squeezes Chinen once, before letting go, and it makes Chinen pull back, looking a little sheepish.

“Where's Yabu-chan?” Hikaru asks to break the silence before it gets awkward, and Yamada's face immediately goes back to focused.

“Hopefully, he'll come.” Yamada says, and Hikaru can tell that he's not supposed to ask more than that.

Chinen slowly slips back to his seat, a little blush on his small cheeks, and he gives his cake plate a defeated look.

“I'm sure he will.” Hikaru says, to help convince everyone, then takes Chinen's plate from before him. “Chocolate cake Yama-chan?”

Yamada raises an eyebrow but then shrugs like what the hell and accepts the plate.

Hikaru glances at the clock, seeing it's twenty minutes to four and hopes they won't have to wait all those minutes.

 

~*~

 


	11. Chapter 11

It's only a couple minutes until four when Yabu joins them, and both Hikaru and Chinen are visibly getting more jumpy as the minutes tick by.

It's easy to see on Chinen's expression the exact second Yabu walks through the door, his big eyes widening and the relief spreading on his face, but Yamada doesn't turn around, instead waits for Yabu to come sit down.

“There you are!” Hikaru says lightly, but the relief is an obvious undertone in his voice, and Chinen doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around Yabu as soon as he's seated. Yabu smiles faintly, the only clue that he's relieved to be here too.

“Here I am.” Yabu agrees, patting Chinen's head gently. Chinen slowly lets go, not looking nearly as awkward as when he did that to Yamada half an hour ago.

“Don't lose us like that.” Hikaru scolds jokingly, but it makes Yabu look up at Yamada with a serious expression, and Yamada knows the question before it comes and he can't answer it.

“... Why did you do that?” Yabu asks, genuinely wondering, and if Yamada's honest, he wonders too.

He doesn't know why he did that. He just perceived the situation of Yabu being recognized and about to be caught, and he saw his chance to prevent it. It wasn't difficult when there were only two guards, he just had to wait a few seconds to give Yabu a head start and then disappear in the crowd.

It wasn't until afterwards that he realized he shouldn't have done that. That it had been a perfect opportunity to get rid of Yabu, leaving him with just Hikaru and Chinen, which would be piece of cake compared to this. He wouldn't even have to hurt Hikaru to get rid of him, just leave him somewhere and tell him to wait and then never come back for him.

And he'd be alone with Chinen, free to bring him straight to Takaki without any further obstacles. And he can't figure out how the hell he could miss a chance like that now that he's so close. He's better than this.

So he has no idea how to answer, and ends up just shrugging awkwardly.

“Aww, Yama-chan.” Hikaru grins like he knows a secret, and Yamada makes a face at the tone. “It's okay to say that you like us you know.”

“Yeah, you keep dreaming about that.” Yamada mutters, but he feels really uneasy and like he needs air. “We should get going, we've already been here too long.”

Yabu looks at him for a long moment, as if trying to assess him, and Yamada makes sure his facial expression doesn't reveal anything.

“I'll just go change clothes.” Yabu finally says, rising, and Chinen mumbles that he's going to the bathroom too.

Which leaves Yamada with Hikaru.

“It's nice that you're finally getting along.” Hikaru comments, and Yamada turns to frown at him, wondering what cheesy shit he's going to say this time. Hikaru looks back at him for a moment, before smiling softly, but he doesn't say anything else, and Yamada gets an annoying flashback of how his mother looked at him the first time he was in love but wouldn't admit it.

“I need to smoke.” He says, because he does, then rises and heads towards the smoking section without waiting for an answer.

A cigarette helps calming his nerves a little, but he still feels awkwardly tense, like something is wrong. But he tries to push it aside when Yabu and Chinen return from the bathroom, Yabu in much more casual clothes, and they start heading back to the train station.

“There were no guards when I arrived.” Yabu says, and there doesn't seem to be now either as they get onto the platform.

Yamada keeps counting the stops, telling himself it's because they're getting closer to their goal now. He told them that they should stay off the central trains, instead change between the outer lines to get closer, and even Yabu agreed on it, which makes this feel like it's almost too easy.

When they get off the train, Yamada's heart is beating hard and everything feels a little surreal. He knows these streets so well he could navigate them in complete darkness, but still the tension in his body just gets worse as they turn the first corner and he wants to smoke another cigarette or five.

Hikaru is talking about how interesting this part of town looks, and Chinen looks around and points at specialized shops or high buildings and other things he for some reason finds worth mentioning. Even Yabu seems a little distracted, but probably mostly because Yamada had suggested they get off here and walk to another station that has another train line, and there are definitely no signs suggesting that this route will lead them to a station. It makes Yamada wonder how long it's going to take before Yabu calls him on it, but he already knows there's no turning back now. They were seen at the station, he knows, and Takaki must already know they're coming. Just another ten minutes walk.

“Oh, sorry.” He hears Hikaru apologize behind him, his usual light tone, but there's no reply, and Yamada reflexively turns to look.

It feels like his heart stops for a second.

There's a man who clearly bumped into Hikaru, who raises a hand in apology and then keeps walking past with a hurried pace. He's wearing jeans and a dark leather jacket, hands in his pockets and brown hair lazily styled, looking like he could be anyone from this area. But his big eyes meet Yamada's for a moment before he walks past, offering a tiny smirk that you wouldn't see if you weren't looking straight at him.

It's Nakayama Yuma and even though Yamada should feel relieved to see one of Takaki's closest men, he suddenly feels like throwing up.

Yuma walks past them, and it's so fucking typical of him to boldly walk into someone he plans on killing within an hour just to get a look at them before. All that lacks is for him to whistle as he walks away, Yamada thinks, and the idea disgusts him.

The realization hits him like a physical punch as he watches Yuma disappear further away before him, the realization that he doesn't want to let Yuma kill Hikaru. He doesn't want to let anyone do it.

 

 

~*~

 

Hikaru almost walks into Yamada when he suddenly stops before him in the middle of the pavement.

“I think we should go to the bathroom.” Yamada says, but doesn't wait for an answer before he simply turns and walks through the door of what looks like a small shopping centre. Hikaru glances at Yabu to comment that didn't they just go to the bathroom, but Yabu's face has suddenly gone so grave that Hikaru doesn't even open his mouth.

“I don't need to go to the bathroom?” Chinen says, looking up at Hikaru, clearly confused.

“Well, if Yama-chan wants company we should come along.” Hikaru tells him, since Yabu's already followed Yamada inside, then urges Chinen to come too.

Yamada follows the bathroom signs, holding the door open for them when he finds it. It's a small bathroom, only has three stalls that are all currently unoccupied, and it doesn't smell too good if Hikaru's completely honest.

But as soon as they've entered, Yamada deadbolts the door and leans against it, not looking at any of them.

“I was going to ask if you felt sick, but... I guess that's not the case?” Hikaru finally asks, thinking that someone needs to break the silence before it suffocates them. Still, Yamada does look a little sick. He's been pale and jumpy since they left the café, but he's worse now, eyes flitting from place to place like he can't focus on anything and his breathing isn't where it should be. Hikaru starts trying to remember what to do when someone faints. “Are you okay?”

“No.” Yamada says simply, looking at the floor in front of him but he doesn't seem to see it.

“What's going on?” Yabu demands, his voice hard and suspicious, and Hikaru feels Chinen carefully take a hold of his hand. He glances down at Chinen, seeing his nervous eyes flick from Yabu to Yamada, and he squeezes the small hand in his like he can promise everything will be okay that way.

“I'm sorry.” Yamada says, and he sounds sorry, more emotion in his voice than Hikaru thinks he's heard this far, but then takes a deep breath and his words are clear and frank even as he keeps staring blindly at the floor. “I'm leading you to Takaki because he wants Chinen to die as revenge on Chinen's father.”

There's a moment of silence, and Hikaru feels the small hand in his go slack.

He kind of expects it, but still he jumps when Yabu springs forward and pins Yamada against the door with a slam, but Yamada doesn't put up a fight this time.

“You're what?!” Yabu growls.

Hikaru swallows, not sure what he feels. He can only relate the feeling he has to the one of someone dying, a helpless sadness that he can't do anything about. He looks down at Chinen, who's staring at Yamada and Yabu with wide glossy eyes like he can't believe what's happening, and Hikaru easily decides that the best he can do now is take care of Chinen until Yamada and Yabu figure out what to do. And so he takes a step back to be able to lean against the sink, pulling Chinen with him and wraps arms around him in protection.

“I'm telling you for a reason, calm down!” Yamada growls back, making a half-hearted attempt to break free.

“Oh, thanks, if I know them it's already too late to be of any help.” Yabu tells him, voice an uncomfortable cold that Hikaru doesn't like and this isn't helping anyone.

He clears his throat to make sure his voice is steady. “Yabu-chan.”

Yabu turns his head to look at him, seeming a little surprised but he doesn't loosen his grip on Yamada.

“I think you should let go of him.” Hikaru says calmly, meeting Yabu's eyes because he's not afraid of him even when he's like this. He's not afraid of either of them.

“Yes. This is scary.” Chinen suddenly speaks up, and it's most likely his small voice that makes Yabu sigh and back away from Yamada.

“I don't think you realize what he's saying.” Yabu says, clearly trying to calm himself down while glaring at Yamada. “He's sold us to them already, if this is where his friends hang around they've seen us long ago. We can't get away now.”

“You can, I have an idea.” Yamada says, and it seems like he's starting to come back to himself, some colour returning to his cheeks.

“And why would we listen to you?” Yabu says fiercely, and Hikaru bites his lip. “You've clearly lied to us up until now.”

“Because I don't want you to die.” Yamada says, and his voice is sincere, holding Yabu's eyes for a long moment before glancing at Hikaru and Chinen, and Hikaru believes him. “And because there's not much choice, is there?”

“Those are not the best premises to trust someone.” Yabu says coldly. “We know nothing about you besides that you're not who you gave yourself out to be.”

Yamada sighs, sounding almost desperate. “My first name's Ryosuke? I work for Diabolos and Takaki sent me to retrieve the boy. I'm one of his best shooters and he trusts me to that extent. It was never part of the plan to get stuck with you, and I was so frustrated with it at first but now I... I think I can help you get away, but I need you to listen for it to work.”

There's a silence following his words, and Hikaru watches Yabu's resolute face for a moment, figuring he has to do something about this.

“I'll listen.” He says calmly, then lets a small smile on his lips. “Besides, Ryosuke suits you.”

Yabu turns to look at him, his eyes showing dejection but Hikaru still thinks his decision is the right one.

Then there's a small voice speaking, and they all turn to look at Chinen. “... I'm scared.”

Hikaru hugs him a little tighter, and Yamada gets a flash of a pain over his features before it's gone again.

“I'm sorry.” He says, looking straight at Chinen, and he sounds like it comes from his heart. “I'm really sorry.”

Yabu watches him for a few moments, then sighs, sounding defeated when he speaks. “We'll listen. Then decide.”

 

~*~

 

Yabu can't believe himself. Can't believe how he could be so incredibly stupid. Even though he kept repeating that Yamada wasn't to be trusted, that he was obviously trouble with all his knowledge and attitude and freaking _guns_ , he apparently decided to trust him anyway. Apparently figured that sure, let the gang member decide the route in Tokyo without double checking him. Apparently decided to just leave their safety in Yamada's hands even though he had already had a hunch about Yamada's motives.

All because he saved him once.

But if he's really honest with himself, he had already started to trust Yamada. Had already started to see how he didn't push Chinen away like he was a gross insect anymore, had seen him care about Hikaru's well-being. And when Yamada saved him from the guards at the train station, he'd just... Accepted it, even though he knows perfectly well that he should have done the opposite. Should have questioned Yamada's reasoning further, should have wondered what the point was in saving him. Except that he still can't see it. Wouldn't everything have been easier if he wasn't here?

That's the only thing that keeps him from just taking Yamada down right now and run with Chinen and Hikaru, even though he knows somewhere at the back of his mind that they'd be caught anyway. But even as he now tries to convince himself that Yamada never cared for any of them, he can't shake the uneasy feeling that Yamada saved him because he wanted to.

And it makes him hate himself, because he knows he can do better than this, can shut off his feelings for anyone in a second and kill them in cold blood if necessary. Except that his mind won't cooperate. He feels things, and even though he wants to blame Chinen for it he knows it's not all that. He's just not capable of it anymore.

Most of his emotional shielding still works, but he can't shut out when Chinen watches him with worried eyes or Hikaru cautiously says his name. And when he looks at Yamada's set face as he explains his plan with a low voice and quick words, he feels somewhere deep inside that he doesn't want Yamada to die either.

He still doesn't like this plan. There are so many things that could go wrong, so many times they could all just get killed in the blink of an eye, but he doesn't interrupt Yamada talking.

Hikaru looks more focused than Yabu's ever seen him as he listens carefully, and even though Chinen's clinging to Hikaru's arm, his wide worried eyes making him look much younger than he is, he's listening intently as well.

And Yabu knows that this is their only option. If they've already walked right into the lion's den, there's no way to just run away.

He knows Diabolos. Knows what type of people they are, has even killed a couple of them in the past, and he knows who Takaki is. But he never knew where their territory was or how their organization worked, since they were always far away and Jin didn't pay them much attention, said they weren't much to worry about.

But even if he knew those things, that wouldn't help him now when he's already in their backyard. They've probably been monitored since they left the train station, if not before that.

Yabu also knows that the possibility of them getting out of this alive is very small. Walking straight into Takaki's arms with one child and one man who can't shoot or fight is doomed to fail. It all depends on himself and Yamada, and he doesn't want to let their lives depend on Yamada again. But there's no choice.

He figures that if there's anything he can do now, it's to try and keep Chinen's and Hikaru's hopes up that there's a possibility that they can survive this, otherwise there will be no point in even trying.

Yamada falls silent after his quick but detailed explanation, and Yabu lets the silence set for a moment before speaking. “... I don't like this.”

“I know you don't.” Yamada says, voice still as low and hurried. “But do you think it could be done?”

Yabu sighs, feeling uneasy in a strange way because it's like Yamada thinks the same things he does, that if Yabu doesn't encourage this, they might as well die here.

“... I don't think there's another option.” Yabu finally settles, honestly, figuring that a lie now would be exposed in a second.

“Then... We'll do it?” Hikaru asks, sounding so serious Yabu turns to look at him where he's holding Chinen in a comforting embrace, gently rocking him back and forth, and looks between Yabu and Yamada as if urging them to make a decision.

“Yes.” Yabu agrees after another moment of arguing in his mind, and Hikaru nods like that's settled then.

Chinen's eyes are wide in fear and his cheeks are pale, but he still looks somehow determined and Yabu's heart does things he doesn't want it to do.

Yamada nods too, then steps forward to stop in front of Chinen, leaning down to crouch before him. “Will you go with me? Is that okay?”

The question sounds so genuine Yabu clenches his jaw, trying to keep thinking about that Yamada sold them out and he will take Chinen with him even if Chinen says no, but it's difficult.

Chinen doesn't react at first, but then slowly nods, and Yamada looks at him for a moment before reaching into his jacket. Yabu tenses but doesn't move.

Yamada's hand emerges with a slim pocket knife, and even though Yabu has to actively keep from saying anything, he realizes that it might be a good idea as Yamada holds it out for Chinen.

“If something happens you can use this, okay?” He says, voice calm but leaving no room for argument, and Chinen hesitantly lets go of Hikaru to accept the small weapon. “Don't cut yourself.”

Chinen looks at it for a long moment, and it looks so big in his hands as he finally tries unfolding it and looks at the blade. He shouldn't have a knife like that, Yabu sees how the static light of the rooms reflects in the edge and he can tell how sharp it is. But at the same time he wouldn't want Chinen to be completely defenceless if the worst would occur and he'd be left all alone.

Yabu's so busy watching Chinen examine the knife with wide eyes that he doesn't notice Yamada doing anything until he stands up and holds a gun out for Yabu.

“You take this.” He says, and Yabu turns to look at him instead. He glances at the gun, noticing that it's the different model than the one he used while showing Hikaru and Chinen how to shoot, but wordlessly reaches out to accept it. Ironically enough it's a very clear peace gift, since Yamada would be stupid to give Yabu a gun if he didn't fully trust him not to shoot Yamada himself with it.

And Yabu knows that if he has to shoot Yamada, he will. But he doesn't want to.

“And here.” Yamada finally says, this time to Hikaru, who looks surprised to receive anything at all, and Yabu frowns as he looks at the object in Yamada's hand. It's a key.

“Oh. Thank you?” Hikaru tilts his head and takes the key, looking at it like he can't entirely figure out what to do with it.

“It's my apartment key.” Yamada says, and that surprises even Yabu. “You can meet me there later. They don't know where it is and it'll take them a while to figure it out.”

“Aww, Ryosuke.” Hikaru says, sounding touched but Yabu can't figure out whether it's fake or real or both. “I don't know where it is either.”

“I'm obviously going to tell you, stupid.” Yamada rolls his eyes and Hikaru smiles. “Is there a pen?”

Yabu digs out a ballpoint pen and starts looking for paper, but Yamada's already told Hikaru to roll up his sleeve and starts writing on the inside of his forearm.

“You won't lose this.” He explains as he pulls Hikaru's sleeve back down when he's finished, and Yabu has to admit it might have been a good idea. “Don't lose the key either.”

“No sir.” Hikaru agrees, reaching up to unlock a thin silver necklace with a charm of a sun that Yabu never noticed he was wearing, then slips the key onto it and puts it back on, key safely hidden by his shirt and scarf.

There's a silence after that, and Yabu takes a deep breath to try and charge himself up for this. But then Hikaru speaks again.

“So... This is the last we see of each other for now?” He asks, and Yabu hears the undertone of knowing, that it might not just be for now, and he once again thinks that he underestimated Hikaru.

“Yeah.” Yamada agrees, sounding tense, and Hikaru sighs almost dejectedly.

“Then I need to hug you all just in case.” He says, and before Yamada has time to react Hikaru's stepped forward to wrap arms tightly around him. Yamada looks like he might protest, but then relaxes and lets Hikaru hug him.

Yabu expects to be next, but he's still surprised by the warmth and closeness of Hikaru's embrace, and it just makes him even more anxious to get them out of this all in one piece. Yabu glances over Hikaru's shoulder to see Yamada leaning down to hug Chinen, and it makes his heart do that uncomfortable thing again, like it can't decide whether to hurt or swell just to end up doing both and it's painful.

When Hikaru backs away, Chinen comes over to Yabu, and Yabu embraces him as tightly as he would his own son, having already settled that if Chinen doesn't make it, there's no point for him to make it either. He can't lose another child.

Chinen is the one to loosen his grip, and Yabu has to swallow as he stands up, exchanging a glance with Yamada as they all steel themselves to get out there again. They both know they're not going to hug.

 

~*~

 


	12. Chapter 12

It's an old nightclub. Takaki likes things flashy, so of course it would be. Yamada normally feels something positive seeing the entrance, the dark door with the broken neon sign above it, but right now all he feels is a panic he tries to suppress.

“Is it here?” Chinen asks carefully, looking pale but still childishly curious. Yamada's not sure whether he wants to laugh or slap Chinen for not understanding how serious this is, that he might very well die in here. That nobody wants to die and he should be terrified.

“Yes. You shouldn't talk to me now.” Yamada says, forcing his voice into calm. “Remember, don't do anything until Yabu and Hikaru comes, okay? I'll make sure nothing happens before then. No matter what I do, I won't let anything happen to you, okay?”

Chinen bites his lip and looks at the door, expression more serious immediately, like he'd forgotten that this isn't just a fun trip to a run down area by the river.

He looks scared now, which is favourable to the scene they're supposed to be playing.

Yamada takes one last deep breath before walking up to the front door, hand decidedly on Chinen's shoulder, making him walk ahead and keeping him from running away at the same time.

There aren't many people in the room when they step inside, but the silence falls immediately.

Yamada can see Chinen look around, at the dark wardrobe that hasn't been used for anything but storage in years, and the open area with the bar straight in front of them where two men are standing, pausing with glasses in their hands.

The only thing working as it would at a night club is the bar after all, whenever someone feels like trying out bartending, or just drink questionable liquors.

Yamada just glares at them, knowing it will keep them frozen in their place until he walks past because the list of people who are not afraid of him here is very short. His heart is beating hard, pumping adrenaline into his entire body, keeping his senses on full alert.

After the short pause in the hall, he shoves roughly at Chinen's shoulder to make him move forward, securely guiding him into the room and then to the right. He makes sure to walk slowly, steps that know exactly where they're going since image is everything, and Chinen's initial stumbling is perfect.

The main entrance to the old dancefloor is wide with dark drapes covering most of it, and has three steps down since it's lower than the rest of this floor, with a carpet that once was red but now is closer to black.

The first person Yamada sees is Daiki. It's the worst person he could possibly lay his eyes on, and he immediately averts his gaze before Daiki can look away from the guy he's talking to and meet his eyes. He's not sure what Daiki could see that nobody else should be able to see in him, because that one always understood him scarily well.

This room is more crowded as it always is, and the silence rolls like a wave over the room as he brusquely pushes Chinen to walk down the short stairs.

Yamada feels his heart beat in his ears but he doesn't listen to it, wonders if he's ever felt more focused than he is right now, peripherally noticing that there's at least fifteen people here and the people from the hall quietly comes down the stairs behind him to watch this. Perfect.

But as soon as he sees Takaki that's his only focus, knowing he can't look away now or he'll be dead.

He stops just down the stairs, unwilling to walk further in unless he has to, straightening up and making sure he looks like everyone else is beneath him.

It takes Takaki a moment to notice the silence, distracted by a beautiful girl Yamada doesn't recognize but figures she probably comes cheap. At least that's what her clothing intends.

“Yamada.” Takaki finally says, rising from the couch he was sitting on but brings the whiskey glass in his hand. He sounds mildly surprised, even though they both know he was aware of Yamada's arrival. “I'd started to wonder if you were ever showing up.”

“Like I wouldn't.” Yamada rolls his eyes, knowing the exact level of cocky he can get without Takaki disapproving.

“You've never let me down before.” Takaki says, voice turning silky as he looks Yamada straight in the eyes for a moment before sipping his whiskey. “But you never know, right?”

Yamada doesn't reply, considering the hint below him to acknowledge. Takaki watches him for a long moment, then breathes a laugh, clearly letting Yamada off the hook as his eyes slide over to Chinen, his smirk turning predatory.

It takes all of Yamada's willpower not to react, since that makes him want to use his hand on Chinen's shoulder to draw him back, hide him from Takaki's sadistic eyes.

“Nice to finally meet you. Yuuri-chan.” Takaki draws out the vowels of Chinen's first name, almost like a school girl would to a friend and it's absolutely disgusting.

Chinen takes a small step back and Yamada reluctantly pushes him forward again, hoping nobody considered that step as one towards safety. Anyone would back from Takaki when he's set to kill.

“Not going to greet me back are you?” Takaki asks, tone hardening like steel as he steps forward, making Chinen back almost into Yamada before Takaki gets a grip on his chin, tilting his head up. “That's very rude.”

Yamada's hand automatically moved to Chinen's back when he started stumbling backwards, and he can feel the trembling in his small body as he looks up at Takaki's dangerous expression, but he still won't speak.

“Yamada!” There's suddenly an obnoxious voice calling out from the other end of the room, and Yamada looks up to see Yuma strutting down the ramp that serves as the smaller back entrance to the dancefloor.

Takaki lets go of Chinen's chin to glance over his shoulder at Yuma, seeming like he couldn't care less for this interruption. Not many people are stupid enough to bother Takaki, but Yuma is reckless enough to get away with most things.

“Good to see you.” Yuma stops, leaning his arms over the railing of the ramp while looking around. “Isn't there someone missing here? Where's Blondie and Ivory?”

 

~*~

 

Even Hikaru understands that this is risky, because they're using the main entrance. It doesn't look much like a main entrance, but he assumes it was grand once upon a time. As grand as a shady club can ever be.

Yabu is more tense than Hikaru's ever seen him before, his jaw clenched and eyes shining with focus, flinching at every sound that's not fully expected. Hikaru feels his own heart beat fast, even though he fully trusts Yabu to get them into and out of this place.

He tries not to think about what could go wrong. If he does what Yabu tells him, it will work out, he's sure of it.

The door doesn't creak when it's opened. Neither does it make a sound when Yabu carefully closes it behind them.

Hikaru can hear voices, but they're a bit further away and there's no one in their immediate vision. It's very obviously an old club, a dark wardrobe to their right and a bar right before them across the open space. It looks like it's still in use, glasses hanging in rows from the ceiling and bottles in the shelves behind it, even though there are some stuff on the bar itself that's not entirely hygienic.

Yabu gives him a look and then cocks his head towards the right, and Hikaru notices the slim stairs across the room that Yamada spoke about. It's a staircase that's probably not meant to be walked in drunk, narrow and with a turn halfway up, making the end of it disappear upstairs.

He nods to let Yabu know he's seen it, and Yabu wets his lips before nodding back and starts moving.

It feels very exposing moving in such an open space, Hikaru thinks as Yabu locates the wide, draped entrance they're supposed to be waiting at, seeing all the openings where people could show up out of nowhere, wondering where they all lead to. But Yabu calmly but quietly walks across the room to the bar like he belongs here, then follows the wall to just inside the entrance. Hikaru follows, trying to keep his breathing as quiet as possible as he leans against the cold wall, staring out into the large hall and bar area and tries not to think of that anyone could turn up at any second and see them. They're only hidden from view from the main room after all.

The conversation is not difficult to hear from here. It sounds like a lot of people, and Hikaru's heart jumps when he hears Yamada speak.

“Obviously not here.” He says, voice much colder and harder than Hikaru knows it, almost like he spoke to them in the beginning.

“Did you lose them? Or leave them?” A rich voice asks, one that Hikaru doesn't recognize but makes him want to shift, that sounds like razors under a velvet cover and it's creepy.

Yabu glances at Hikaru, holding his newly received gun tight in his hand. Hikaru watched him before when he went through it quickly, adjusting to it and if he hadn't understood Yabu had a history with these things before, that would have done it.

He's just happy he doesn't have to handle a weapon himself.

“What do you think?” Yamada's voice is almost ironic, then another voice interrupts, coming off loud even though it sounds further away, speaking with a dialect.

“I think you left them on purpose.” It says, and Hikaru doesn't like this voice either. “It's a shame, Blondie looked like he could have been a crier.”

Hikaru doesn't understand that it's talking about him until he notices Yabu's hand tighten on his gun, and he bites his lip, the realization hitting him so hard he feels a shiver go through his entire body.

“Why don't you tell us, Yamada?” The rich voice goes on, calm and superior and Hikaru wants to somehow save Yamada from it. “How did you get rid of an Ivory? We have time, don't leave out details.”

“I can play with the kid.” The dialect voice offers, but the tone is clear about the intentions behind the words and Hikaru looks at Yabu, wondering when they should interrupt because Chinen shall not be anywhere near the owner of that voice. “I'll leave him alive for you, I promise.”

“Yuma get lost.” Yamada says clearly, sounding annoyed but cuttingly harsh at the same time, the message obvious.

“Boys, boys, don't fight. I like you both.” The rich voice says, sounding like it's having fun and it's somehow even scarier that way. There's laughter in the room, and the voice obviously turns to Yamada. “Let Yuma babysit while you tell us a story, hm?”

Hikaru stares at Yabu now, at his focused face looking at nothing, because they have to do something, they have to do it _now_ , but he doesn't dare disturb whatever Yabu's planning with physical contact.

“Come on baby boy~” The dialect, Yuma, sings in a disturbingly sweet tone, and Hikaru hears steps in the room.

Then Yabu's lips move, almost soundlessly mouthing “Run.”

Yabu moves so quickly Hikaru jumps because he doesn't expect it, whirling around the corner, smoothly pushing the curtain aside and steadily firing off a shot that's deafening within a second. The sound is followed by a female scream, several shocked noises, clothes rustling, chairs scraping the floor and metal clicking, and the unmistakable sound of something heavy falling to the floor.

There are people moving, the sound level rising immediately and Hikaru can hardly make out any voices, still feeling a little deaf from the gunshot.

The following few seconds feel like minutes, but it all goes so fast he barely registers what's happening. Yabu takes a step aside to let a small form stumble past him and Hikaru has enough mind to grab Chinen's arm and tug him along towards the stairs, not even stopping to see if he's unharmed.

 

~*~

 

The relief in Yabu's chest when Yamada half throws Chinen his direction and he stumbles away is indescribable, a feeling he had no idea how much he needed. He spares a glance at the dead body leaking blood on the floor, feeling even more disgusted when he recognizes the face. The man that bumped into them earlier today, and suddenly he knows why Yamada made the decisions he did.

He sees in his peripheral vision how a tall, dark haired man throws himself towards a ramp that seems to lead out of the room and disappears, and Yabu knows where he's going before he's processed the thought.

He tries to turn back and run after Hikaru and Chinen, but finds a gun pointed at his face from too close of a distance suddenly. He looks up at the man holding the weapon, looks at his deceivingly sweet face with ferocious eyes and feels a faint recognition. Like he's seen him before.

“Well, well. I guess there is no getting rid of an Ivory after all.” Takaki's voice comes across the room, and Yabu tries to push away the thought of Hikaru and Chinen, knowing he has to survive this situation to help them.

He's still pointing his own gun Takaki's direction, but he finds about ten others aimed at himself, the remaining ones aimed at Yamada standing just a few metres from him.

Yabu slowly looks up to meet Takaki's eyes, taking in his face properly for the first time. He looks different than Yabu remembers him, his hair longer and face older, but still as flashy and careless, except the expression on his features now is dangerous amusement.

“Welcome Yabu Kota.” Takaki goes on, but Yabu doesn't move a face, keeps watching as Takaki slowly reaches into is clothes and picks out a gun of his own. Ironically it's the exact same model as Yabu's holding in his hands right now, and he realizes that this gun was never Yamada's to begin with. “I see you have something that belongs to me.”

Takaki takes his time raising the gun to point at Yamada while still watching Yabu, then glances around at the men standing closest to him, voice changing from amused to hard as he speaks. “Go find the kid.”

A couple men lowers their guns and hurries towards the ramp, but apparently Takaki doesn't find it enough, adding “All of you!” and the remaining ones hurry to get out too.

Yabu sees his chance at the lapse of focus and dodges out of the immediate aim of the gun pointed at him, and gets past the drapes and just around the corner before the man with the sweet face has followed him, a hard grip around his upper arm and cold against his jaw.

In a split second,Yabu sees the men sent to look for Chinen approach from his left, and he notices the other entrance to the room where they come out, but then things happen so quickly he can't even think. One of the approaching men draws a gun at him and fires, missing him but grazing the arm of the man that just followed Yabu, making him growl and drop his weapon. Yabu barely gets a glance at their faces of panic and figures this man has a lot higher ranking than they do, but instead uses his seconds to rush for the staircase and up, praying that there's something upstairs that can be used to block it as he hears a shot go off behind him.

 

~*~

 

“Yamada...” Takaki sighs when they're left alone, sounding like he's reprimanding a very disobedient dog.

Yamada's heart rate is faster than it's ever been, and he tries to keep his mind from replaying how Yuto rushed out of the room the second after Chinen. Yuto can find them, he knows Yuto can. He just prays that it for some reason doesn't happen.

He also doesn't want to know how the fight between Daiki and Yabu could turn out, only heard gunshots and screams and crashing sounds after they left the room.

“You were always difficult, weren't you?” Takaki goes on, still sounding as calm and dangerous, as if this whole scene was something he had expected. “Always so eager to be the best.”

Yamada doesn't speak, just keeps his gun aimed at Takaki just as Takaki's is aimed at him. He glances at Yuma's lifeless body on the floor and he doesn't feel a tiny bit sorry for him. He never liked Yuma. Too sadistic and tasteless and when he said he wanted to play with the child, Yamada felt like shooting him himself.

“What went wrong here?” Takaki asks, drawing Yamada's attention back as he starts slowly approaching. “Wasn't I good to you? Tell me.”

“... There's nothing to tell.” Yamada says, starting to move as well because he doesn't want Takaki closer, knows he can beat Yamada down in close combat.

“They'll get the kid for me you know.” Takaki raises an eyebrow and keeps walking with Yamada, keeping their distance constant as they circle each other. “And your friends.”

“Do you really think those losers are good enough for that?” Yamada asks, even though at the back of his mind he thinks of Yuto and Daiki, thinks that there's no work they haven't managed for Takaki before.

“I'll have you watch as I break the child.” Takaki smirks now, and it's the first moment that his fury with Yamada comes out in his eyes, almost bordering on hysteria as he goes on. “And as I kill your little friends. Or I might make you do it yourself before I kill you too. Isn't that a nice idea?”

“You would think that.” Yamada says, trying to keep from visualizing what Takaki says, tries to keep his mind from the storage rooms in the basement that hold items so nasty Yamada would never touch them.

“An Ivory, huh?” Takaki goes on like Yamada didn't speak. “Never thought you could forget what they did to us those years ago.”

“I haven't.” Yamada says, slowly stepping behind the couch and table, strategically putting the furniture between them.

Takaki's glance shows him that he's very aware of what Yamada's trying to do, but he keeps talking. “Good. We don't forget, right? Just as I won't forget this.”

Yamada expects the first shot, throwing himself out of the way and aimlessly fires back, his focus set on trying to get out of this room alive. Takaki easily avoids his retaliation, but the extra second Yamada gets allows him to run closer to the entrance, pausing when there's another group of furniture in between them.

“This isn't very classy.” Takaki says, his calm out of place as Yamada's preparing for whatever might come next. “Shooting at each other from this distance.”

“I suppose not.” Yamada agrees, but still they're aiming straight at each other.

“Why don't we settle this like gentlemen?” Takaki suggests, and Yamada has no intention to agree, knowing Takaki can beat him without any weapon, but keeps slowly walking like he's considering it.

“... We could.” Yamada agrees, reminding himself that talking is a good way of stalling for time.

“Then let's.” But he sees through Takaki's suggestion the same millisecond as the smirk spreads on his face, hears the shot fly right past his ear as he manages to dodge it, but there's nowhere to hide. He stumbles as he moves out of the way, stumbles over Yuma's body on the floor and falls backwards, tries to get a shot in at Takaki but hears the bang before he can fire his own gun.

He screams at the searing pain in his leg, his vision going fuzzy at the edges as he collapses and drops his gun, can't hold anything, not even himself as he feels like his thigh was just ripped from his body.

He hears Takaki approach more than he can see it, but forces himself to look up through the tears of pain just in time to see Takaki's satisfied grin and raised gun.

 

~*~

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

It takes Hikaru two seconds to locate the open door they're supposed to be heading through once they get upstairs, but he hears someone start the stairs behind them and he knows they won't make it there unseen.

There's a door ajar to his left, just around the corner and much closer, so he drags Chinen along and rushes inside. It looks like a lounge room, a pool table in the middle and the lighting is dim, sets of armchairs and tables scattered over the room like they're not in use. He throws himself down behind the closest set, leaning his back against the back of a chair and takes a first look at Chinen.

He's pale and his eyes are wide, but he looks coherent and unharmed enough, just stares in the direction of the door like he can keep anyone about to come in from doing so if he keeps staring. Hikaru almost wants to hug him, but wonders if he won't break out crying himself if he does that.

Instead he takes a long deep breath to keep calm despite the gunshots he keeps hearing, distracting himself by considering the smell of the room, old cigarette smoke and something sweet, like syrup. He has no idea how they're supposed to get out of this room and to the emergency exit they're heading for, especially not if anyone is following them. He just prays they won't be found.

Someone following them was not part of the plan. Yabu was supposed to fix that.

He looks frantically around the room in search of escape routes, but only sees a door opening a few metres away that appears to lead into a darker room. The lounge room they're in has a corner he can't see, but he doesn't dare hoping for anything and dismisses the possibility of a door or stairs.

There's a soft creaking of the door and Hikaru stiffens, sees Chinen's eyes go wider and his breath seems to stop as they both stay impossibly still and wait.

“I know you're in here~” A male voice says playfully as the creaking continues, and it makes Hikaru react before he can think it through. He thinks about the man with the dialect downstairs and all he wants is to get away from this new voice. He grabs Chinen's wrist tightly and launches for the dark door.

He thinks he hears their pursuer laugh before he slams the door closed without looking where they are, locking it even though he knows it won't help.

This new room is a library, or a conference room, a long table with chairs in the middle and the walls are lined with dusty bookshelves. There are no other doors in the room and the windows are too narrow and set high up by the ceiling. They're trapped.

In he end, Hikaru just pulls Chinen close and steps behind a bookshelf, hidden from the immediate view of the door.

Chinen looks up at him, eyes wide in fear and Hikaru wants to tell him everything will be fine. But his own racing heart tells him otherwise, and he can't speak now even if he could say it.

There's a knock on the door, a brief melody of fingers that's more drumming than knocking, but it makes Hikaru shiver. It's so _mocking_ , like whoever it is following them knows exactly how defenceless they are and he's just playing with his food. It makes Hikaru wonder how much of a psychopath this man is.

“Can I come in?” There's a soft question, sounding like an imitation of a father speaking to an angry teenager and Hikaru grimaces.

There's a short silence, and the pause makes Hikaru jump high when the door flies open from a well placed kick and crashes against the nearest bookshelf from the force.

Chinen makes some sort of panicked sound but it's muffled in Hikaru's shirt.

The man that slowly walks into the room is tall, with a long coat that makes him look even taller, hair dark and facial expression one of dangerous amusement. He looks around slowly, like he doesn't mind keeping his back to a potential enemy for a few moments, then smiles as he lays eyes on Hikaru and Chinen.

“Hello there.” He says, voice smooth and calm. It's unnerving, because Hikaru can tell that this man is dangerous. “I let myself in.”

Hikaru just keeps looking at him, holding on to Chinen and his mind is rushing with thoughts of what to do, what to do, _what to do._

“Yuri-chan, we've already met.” The man smirks as he looks at Chinen, then his piercing eyes goes up to Hikaru's face, the cold under his pretended politeness obvious. “And who might you be, hm? All I know is that Yama-chan must _really_ like you.”

It's ironic that they call Yamada the same nickname, Hikaru thinks, wondering if that's why Yamada accepted it so fast. If he's close with this man.

“I assume you just accidentally walked into this, didn't you? You're not a fighter, I can tell.” The smirk on the man's lips is cruelly amused, and all Hikaru can do is keep looking straight at him.

There's a loud crashing sound not so far away, and Hikaru sends a thought to Yabu and Yamada, hoping with all his heart that at least they can get out of here.

The man glances over his shoulder for a moment, but his expression when he turns back is unimpressed, like that didn't bother him.

“Okay, fine, you don't have to talk to me. I'll shoot you either way.” He shrugs, reaching inside his jacket to pull a gun from a holder by his hip. The clicking sound of cocking the gun rings loud in the room, and Hikaru feels like it's raised at him in slow motion. “Now let go of the child.”

Hikaru doesn't. He won't let Chinen end up with these people no matter what happens.

The man sighs like this is all a drag, then steps forward to forcibly grab Chinen's arm while still pointing the gun at Hikaru, still staring at him with those cold eyes.

Hikaru's breathing comes shallow as he stares back, feeling Chinen being tugged from his hands but he can't stop looking into those eyes, feels like he'll be dead the second he breaks eye contact.

Then the spell breaks as the man's face contracts in pain, the gun is lowered and Chinen's shoved backwards against Hikaru.

It takes Hikaru a moment to focus, to see the switchblade in Chinen's hand and the tear in the man's jacket, a bloody trail over his left forearm.

The man looks down at his arm for a few long seconds, looking in pain but mostly stunned, before looking up at the blood stained knife in Chinen's trembling hand.

There's no trace of his calm composure left, his eyes radiating with anger and Hikaru swallows, wondering if there's any chance they could just barrel past him and hope for the best. “... You little shit. He gave you that? He must really want you to live.”

Hikaru takes a small step back, thinking that maybe this loss of composure can save them, but finds the gun pointed at him before he can move further.

“Alright, if you don't want me to be nice, I won't be nice.” The man says, grabbing Chinen's wrist with reflexes like a cobra, easily wringing it enough for Chinen to whine and drop the knife, then pulls him back out of Hikaru's arms with a rough tug. He raises his gun to properly aim at Hikaru the same second that there's a small creaking sound. Hikaru sees the finger on the trigger start moving before the man suddenly crashes against the table and he doesn't understand what happened until he sees Yabu in the doorway, lowering his leg from a kick.

The gun slides away on the floor, ending up somewhere under the chairs and the man groans as the table side clearly hit him straight below the ribs.

“Grab his gun and get out!” Yabu hisses, and Hikaru only settles that Yabu looks whole before diving to the floor for the gun, fumbling before he gets a grip on the heavy handle and picks it up.

Chinen's glancing like a scared rabbit between the man Yabu's pointing a gun at and the door they came from, and Hikaru hurries to get to him and through the door, not looking back because he trusts Yabu.

It doesn't sound like anyone's in the hall above the stairs, but he still looks out carefully before leaving the lounge room because there's swearing and sounds of heavy things being moved even though it sounds distant.

When they dare getting out the room, he sees a bookshelf that he vaguely remembers stood just above the stairs crashed into it and blocking the way.

“Come on.” He tells Chinen after having stopped and stared at it for a moment, seeing movement below as people are trying to get up. But there must be another way to this floor, it can only be a matter of time.

They half run to the open door, finding what looks like a slim indoor balcony with a view of the floor downstairs. On the other side is the door marked emergency exit, the one that Yamada told them would lead to a parking house with several stairs that lead out.

Hikaru pulls the door half closed behind them and leans down behind the safety fence of frosted glass, getting almost halfway across before he accidentally looks down and freezes. He feels Chinen pause behind him, and he knows they should keep going, leave.

But he can't.

Yamada's down there, collapsed in a heap next to an unmoving body, clearly in pain, Hikaru can tell even before he sees the blood under him and his stomach almost turns. One of Yamada's hands is pressed over his own thigh and is stained completely red, the other shaking as he's trying to hold his weight enough to look up at the person standing above him. With a gun aimed at his forehead and a disgusting grin.

Hikaru doesn't think twice, only realizes he has a gun in his hand, and he stands up properly, not caring that he can be easily spotted by anyone right now as he grips the stolen weapon with both hands. His dominant hand closest to the gun, the other supporting the weight. Aims at the person in the leather jacket and fluffy hair. Holds his breath.

And pulls the trigger.

The shot rings loud in his ears, the gun retaliating so much it hurts his shoulders. He hears Chinen's gasp of panic and the scream of pain from down there like through a haze, and he watches the man in the leather jacket fall to his knees, gun slipping from his hand as he reaches up to clutch at his shoulder, where the jacket is scorched and blood starts to show.

 

~*~

 

Yabu glares down at the man still half-leaning over the table while breathing harshly, hoping some internal organs burst with the impact. He knows this man. Not his name or who he is, only that he's seen him before. That one rainy night when he killed more people than he wants to think about.

And he's sure this man knows him too, can see it in the hatred blazing from his eyes.

He's just about to start backing while keeping the man down with the aim of his gun, when the man launches at him so fast Yabu can barely react, shouldering him in the chest and he stumbles back into a bookshelf.

He can feel the construction sway but there are no books coming down at him, and he can't even confirm that he's unharmed before there's a fist directed at his face that he has to dodge.

The man is ferocious, clearly skilled in close combat since Yabu doesn't get a chance to counter attack or even get his gun ready, forced to avoid various punches and kicks while trying to keep from crashing into furniture and accidentally take himself down as he tries to get out.

He manoeuvres them to the door, but that's as far as he gets before he hears a gunshot loud and clear enough that it has to be on this floor and he loses his focus for a millisecond.

A knee hits him full force in the stomach and he involuntarily bends forward with a groan, mind still spinning with images of Chinen dead, Hikaru dead.

“Sounds like my gun.” The man says sadistically, and Yabu senses the strike about to come down over his back and manages to move aside even though he can hardly breathe yet, utilizing the man's unguarded position to kick at his knee.

He doesn't hit perfectly enough to break the kneecap, but it fills its purpose as the man loses his footing and crashes into the doorpost without a chance of catching himself.

Yabu doesn't even stop to see if the man is rendered harmless, the only thing on his mind being getting to Chinen and Hikaru. He runs as fast as he can out of the room, but his insides are not cooperating enough with his breathing yet and he ends up limping. He hears voices and running footsteps from somewhere down the other direction from where he's heading, and he figures Takaki's crew found a better way upstairs.

The door they were heading for is almost closed, and just as Yabu reaches it he hears another gunshot. It's loud but not in his immediate proximity, not close enough to come from just the other side of the door.

He hears a banging of things and more footsteps behind him, but he doesn't even spare a look over his shoulder as he hurries through the door, prepared to see anything.

At least he thought he was.

Hikaru's standing halfway down the path to the exit, hands shaking so bad he can barely hold the gun in his hands, Chinen clutching Hikaru's shirt so hard his knuckles are white as they both stare down towards the ground floor. Yabu follows their eyes, and feels his own widen.

He sees Yamada, clearly wounded, in a heap next to the body of the man Yabu shot, trying to drag himself out from under Takaki's dead weight. Takaki's fallen straight across Yamada's lap and the other dead body, face down and a gun hole between his shoulder blades, another bleeding injury at his shoulder.

Yamada looks up, pale like a ghost and only seems to see Hikaru and Chinen, like he already knows they're there.

“Go, just fucking go!” He calls, voice urgent and breaking at the end, and Yabu can't see how much damage he's taken but it must be bad.

The footsteps behind Yabu catches up, and he spins around, ready to shoot and is almost surprised to see the man he just kicked down leaning against the doorpost with vicious eyes. But the man doesn't move, his eyes drawn to the scene downstairs and widening just like Yabu's own had.

For two long seconds, he just stands there looking down, seemingly watching Yamada squirm, while Yabu points his gun at him, waiting.

But then those fierce eyes meet his and the man makes a face of disgust, as if to say that Yabu's not even worth his time anymore. He turns and goes back.

Yabu doesn't know what to make of that, but he doesn't give himself time to think about it either, just turns back to Hikaru and Chinen. Hikaru's watching him now, looking pale with eyes wide, but Yabu just nods his head towards the emergency exit and starts running, pulling the two with him.

He glances behind a final time as he slams the fire door shut after them, seeing that Yamada's no longer visible by the two still bodies.

 

~*~

 

He gets just inside the entrance of the old kitchen before he can't drag himself an inch further. Yamada bites his lip to keep a whimper in as he raises his shaky hands to press against his thigh. It hurts so bad he can't breathe, his breaths quick and shallow even though he tries to calm them down or he knows he'll faint because he's already lost so much blood. Pushing against the wound is gross, he can feel hot blood pulsing against his palms with each rapid beat of his heart, and it doesn't take a minute before his hands are slippery with blood, but he's closed his eyes so he doesn't have to see it.

He jerks at a sudden scrambling sound, eyes flying open and one bloody hand instinctively reaching for his gun but his motor control doesn't work properly.

Footsteps are coming closer, and Yamada braces himself for whoever it is that followed his blood trail. Yamada can tell it's Yuto the second before he steps inside the room from the swish of his coat.

There's a cut on his arm all the way through his coat into skin, his eyes dangerously dark and Yamada lets out a pathetic sound because he can't defend himself.

But Yuto just falls to his knees next to Yamada, nudges Yamada's gun away with his leg and reaches into his own belt.

"You always get yourself into this kind of mess, don't you?"

His voice is collected but rushed, clearly in crisis mode, and Yamada can't answer, only watches as Yuto gets a knife out and forces Yamada's red hand away.

"Always covered in blood somewhere. Do you realize what you've done?" Yuto goes on as he slips a finger under the soaked fabric where the bullet went in and easily cuts the fabric open with the knife. Yamada still tries to breathe and not embarrass himself, clenching his fists and jaw against the pain as Yuto cuts another line and pulls the fabric away from the wound.

"Trust you to make such stupid decisions." Yuto tells him, dropping the knife and quickly rising to rummage through the lockers. "What did you fall for, the kid? Fierce one, he even cut me you know?"

He pulls out a half full bottle of rum and then hurries further to some drawers where he clearly knows what he's looking for as he almost immediately emerges with a pair of long metal forceps and Yamada winces.

"Or the others? Were they nice?" Yuto rambles on as he falls back to his knees next to Yamada, unscrewing the cork of the rum and pours it straight onto Yamada's wound. It burns so much Yamada screams out loud but Yuto slams a hand over his mouth, clearly prepared for that reaction.

"Either way I won't blame you." Yuto says, voice honest as he rifles Yamada's pockets and pulls out his lighter, flicking it open and running the flame along the length of the forceps. "But others will, so you have to get out of here as soon as possible. It's not difficult seeing that the hole in our leader's chest came from the front.”

He drops the lighter on the floor and wipes away some fresh blood from Yamada's thigh with the edge of his shirt, raising the forceps and Yamada feels like he might cry at the prospect of what Yuto's going to do.

“You might wanna stuff something in your mouth.” He looks up into Yamada's eyes for a moment, almost like he apologizes in advance. "Hang in there baby, this is going to hurt."

 

~*~

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

Hikaru's hands are still shaking as he reaches up to undo his necklace. They're standing outside a door in a normal, not so fancy apartment complex, and even though the door doesn't have Yamada's name on it, it has the name he'd written on Hikaru's arm.

He manages to get the key off his necklace and hands it to Yabu, not trusting himself not to drop it if he gives the lock a try, then lets the necklace slip into his pocket because he doesn't think he can put it back on right now.

Yabu's resting a hand on Chinen's shoulder, looking focused but a little pale. Chinen's just staring blindly at nothing and Hikaru's really worried about him.

Yabu accepts the key and unlocks the door without problem, opening it and letting the other two enter before him, then locks it properly behind him.

There's some mail on the doormat that Hikaru almost steps on, but sees last minute and moves aside, pulling Chinen with him.

It's a small apartment, but surprisingly light and well furnished, making Hikaru wonder if someone else lives here too.

“Sit down.” Yabu practically orders, gently guiding Chinen towards the dark grey couch that's visible from the hall. He gently pushes on Chinen's shoulder to make him sit, then looks up at Hikaru as if to tell him that goes for him too.

Hikaru obeys, taking a seat next to Chinen and looks up at Yabu questioningly.

“You're in shock.” Yabu explains, and Hikaru wonders who he's speaking too, if it's both of them.

He looks down at his own hands that won't stop shaking still, then glances over at Chinen, his heart hurting a little when he notes how he's so pale he looks grey.

Yabu disappears through a door in the hall for a moment, then returns with bed covers in blocked black and white and dumps them in the couch behind Chinen. “Hikaru will you make sure he's warm? I'll see if there's anything to drink.”

“Okay.” Hikaru agrees, leaning over to start untangling the duvet enough to drape it over Chinen's shoulders as Yabu heads to the kitchen area and opens the fridge.

Chinen barely reacts, only grabs the textile once it's around him to hold it in place.

“Hey.” Hikaru says softly, nudging Chinen carefully because he's not that familiar with how to treat a physiological state of shock. “Are you there?”

Chinen nods and blinks slowly, drawing the covers closer around him. “... This smells like Yama-chan.”

“I guess it would if it's his.” Hikaru says, smiling in relief that Chinen's not completely gone.

Chinen swallows, carefully turning his head to look up at Hikaru, his eyes honest. “Will he be okay?”

Hikaru doesn't reply at first, not sure what to say, images flashing before his eyes that he doesn't want to see, the panic starting to crawl up his chest and he gets a feeling of being choked.

“I hope so.” Yabu says, thankfully interrupting as he returns with two mugs that he sets down on the table for them, then goes to get his own. “I found chocolate milk that seemed okay.”

Hikaru glances at the mugs, noting that the design is simple and fashionable like everything else in this apartment. The walls are a pale grey that matches most of the interior, like the couch and an armchair, accented with reds and white and it looks very thought through.

“Does he live here alone?” Hikaru asks out loud, because he can't picture Yamada in his worn leather jacket going into a home interior store to buy decorative pillows. “There's somehow a vibe of a female presence, isn't there?”

“Only one way to know, isn't it?” Yabu looks up over the rim of his own mug where he's settled opposite them on the floor. “Check the bathroom.”

It makes Hikaru laugh, and it feels odd, like his muscles can't remember how it's supposed to be done and it's too much effort to keep it up.

Yabu seems to notice, looking at him with concern in his dark eyes. It makes Hikaru feel ridiculous because he is an adult, Yabu shouldn't have to be worried about him. Chinen on the other hand is more of a worry, sitting almost too still while staring at the mug before him on the table, like he can't keep his eyes focused for too long and instead spaces out.

Hikaru sees Yabu watch Chinen for a long moment, before he clears his throat.

“... If there's anything you want to ask you can do so.” Yabu says finally, voice soft. It makes Chinen focus his eyes on him and he appears to actually see him. “Or just something you want to talk about.”

Chinen bites his lip, looking like he can't think of anything even though he wants to say something, and Hikaru feels Yabu's eyes on him for a moment before he can manage to turn away from Chinen and meet them.

“You, too.” Yabu says sincerely, and Hikaru suddenly understands Chinen's feeling. There are so many things he saw today that he never thought he would ever face, things he'll have nightmares about, and he wants to ventilate them but he doesn't know where to even begin.

Yabu seems to know, his eyes so understanding that Hikaru almost breaks out in tears. “Talking about it will help.”

Hikaru pauses, turning to look at Chinen who actually looks back at him with wide eyes, as if asking for help. And Hikaru finds himself speaking. “... I shot someone.”

His own voice sounds oddly toneless, but he can't stop talking once he got the initial words out. “I didn't think. I just saw Yama-chan and that he needed help, and I was holding a loaded gun. So I did what he taught me to. I never thought I would actually hit. It hit his shoulder, and he dropped his gun.”

“And then Yama-chan shot him.” Chinen adds in a small voice, and Hikaru looks at his pale cheeks, knowing they can both see it before their eyes. Yamada scrambling in panic for the gun on the floor, grabbing it and pressing it up against the man's chest. The blood spraying out from between shoulder blades. The ringing sound. The body falling heavily forward half across Yamada's lap.

“... You saved Yamada, didn't you?” Yabu says, voice gentler than Hikaru's heard it this far. “You did what you could.”

Hikaru bites his lip because he feels his throat tighten with tears and he doesn't want to cry.

“That man. In the library.” Chinen speaks up, voice shaking. “He was so scary.”

“Yes. He said all these things that gave me chills.” Hikaru agrees, thinking about the mocking tone and crazy smile. “And he also called him Yama-chan. I think they were close.”

“He called me Yuri-chan.” Chinen says, sounding horrified.

“I know who he is.” Yabu says slowly, voice calm. “And I think he's close to Yamada, too. When he saw Yamada down on the floor, he turned and left. I think he might have gone to help him.”

Chinen looks up at that, eyes wide like he can't believe it. Hikaru has troubles believing it too. He can't help thinking the man might have gone to do the opposite of helping Yamada.

“... Really?” Hikaru asks, hoping his disbelief doesn't come out too obvious.

“I do.” Yabu says, sounding convinced that he's right and it helps, it really helps. “There was something in his eyes. Something that made me sure he wouldn't go down there to hurt Yamada. I don't think I would have let him go if that was the case.”

“... I hope you're right.” Hikaru says, praying that Yabu's perception about this is the correct one. But he has a feeling Yabu's very good at reading those kinds of things.

“I just want him to come back.” Chinen says, sounding more in pain than Hikaru's heard him since he cried about his mother, and it feels like the words physically stab his chest.

“We'll see him again.” Hikaru says comfortingly, deciding here and now that they will. That Yamada has to be okay and that they can meet again. “We'll just leave something behind that tells him where and when. He has to come back here after all.”

Chinen looks at him with wide eyes for a few moments, like he's trying to make out if Hikaru's lying.

“That's a good idea.” Yabu says, and when Hikaru turns to check his expression, there's something like a faint smile on his exhausted features. “We just need to find a really good way in case anyone else comes here first.”

Hikaru looks around, distracting himself with trying to think of a good hiding place for a note that no one else but Yamada would find. Then remembers the pile of mail on the doormat.

“Why don't we write a love letter?” He suggests.

“... What?” Chinen asks, looking up at Hikaru like he doesn't understand what a love letter even is, but he's got the chocolate mug in his hands now and there's a faint hint of colour returning to his face.

“A love letter, Yama-chan's an attractive man after all? And just add it in with the mail on the doormat?” Hikaru explains, thinking that it's in fact a brilliant idea if he can say so himself. “We'll write some sweet stuff and then tell him that we're waiting for him at our favourite café or something? That one with the chocolate cake by the east exit.”

Yabu looks so positively surprised Hikaru has to smile, his muscles doing it a little more willingly this time. “... That's great. I can't write love letters though.”

“Even better. They'll never suspect it.” Hikaru nods, standing up to go off in search of paper and a pencil. They'd left both his and Yabu's bags in a safety box in the small shopping mall, aware that they might not be able to go back and retrieve them.

He can write love letters, no problem. He's just a little concerned about his man-handwriting, but figures what the hell. Yamada could just as well have a boyfriend.

 

~*~

 

It's surreal to sit on a train again after everything that just happened. Yabu watches Chinen and Hikaru on the seats opposite him, how Chinen's reading commercial signs somewhere above Yabu's head, feet dangling because he's too short to reach the floor. Hikaru looks absently out the window where it's already dark, but he doesn't look like he's taken too much damage from what happened.

Yabu hasn't really let himself think about it yet. Mostly because he's not sure what kind of feelings he'll find in himself if he does. So he tries to focus on that they made it out alive. Hopefully all of them.

Yabu genuinely hopes that Yamada made it, that the tall man went to help him. But he remembers what that wound looked like, how much blood he must have lost, and it makes him very uneasy thinking about the odds.

At least no one has appeared to be looking for them now. They didn't dare stay for too long in Yamada's apartment, supposing it really was his, only made sure everyone had a stable blood pressure and cleaned themselves up enough for public transport.

Hikaru offered Yabu to read the letter he wrote, but Yabu declined. He has all the faith in Hikaru to write a decent love letter. He even let Hikaru sign with his given name since that might as well be a girl, and he didn't get the feeling that anyone knew who Hikaru was.

They'd stacked the folded note in between mails to make it look like it had been there for a while, then left and taken the key with them.

Yabu is certain that Yamada has another way of getting into that apartment if he has to. He just hopes he finds the letter. They'd settled to write that they'd be at “their favourite café every Sunday at 4 as usual”, which Yamada should have no problems understanding. Question is if he would turn up even if he understood. Yabu has a weird feeling about going there once a week just to maybe see Yamada, not even sure he wants to see Yamada again. But he knows that Hikaru will go, no matter how long it takes for Yamada to show up, and that thought is somehow encouraging.

Since after this, there will be no reason for them to be together anymore. They're returning Chinen home after all.

He has no idea how this is going to turn out. Their plan is to just go to police headquarters where Chinen's father works and make sure he ends up in the right hands, since Yabu has no clue how else to do it. The easiest thing for them would be if they just dropped Chinen off and let him go inside himself, but that feels wrong. He has an urgent need to see that Chinen goes where he should be, even though he's very aware that the risk of him and Hikaru being arrested and charged with god knows what is massive if they willingly step into the police headquarters.

He made this clear to Hikaru, but Hikaru just claimed that they technically didn't do anything wrong. They found Chinen, cared for him and made sure he came to his father.

It's not a defence that would hold in court, Yabu thinks, but it's so pure in a way only Hikaru could see it.

For himself, he doesn't have anything in his life he wants to protect anyway. Jail or not doesn't matter to him.

The announcer calls out the name of their station, and Yabu takes a deep breath. This is it.

He expected there to be guards swarming this area, but apparently nobody assumed they would make it this far, since they don't encounter a single one. Besides, it's late.

When they turn a corner and see the massive concrete and glass building with most of the lights still on, Hikaru suddenly pauses.

“Hey.” He says, and Yabu has time to take a full 360 look around them before he sees Hikaru's small smile. “Shouldn't we properly say goodbye now? In case we can't do it later?”

Chinen's frown is one of confusion, like he hasn't realized before now that this is where their adventure together ends. “... I don't want to say goodbye.”

His voice is clear, honest, and Yabu's reaction almost scares himself with how much his chest tightens.

“Just for now, isn't it okay?” Hikaru asks, and Chinen still doesn't look like he approves at all, but accepts the hug Hikaru leans down to give him.

“We're going camping.” Chinen says as Hikaru lets go, looking up at him as if he just betrayed him.

“We are. Later on.” Hikaru agrees. “We definitely will.”

Chinen looks at him for a moment, that suspicious look as if to see if Hikaru's lying to him. Yabu silently wonders how often he's been told things that never happened and he doesn't _want_ to return him to his father. Not at all.

“We will.” Yabu agrees, and Chinen turns to him, the surprise obvious on his small features. But it seems to help that Yabu agrees, and he nods before coming over to Yabu to hug him too.

Yabu holds him tight and tries to believe that this is not the last time.

 

~*~

 

The glass doors are fancy, Hikaru thinks as he pushes one of them open to step inside the lobby. It's a huge hall with a matching huge reception desk and several doors leading into the building, elevators and stairs everywhere. Everything is marble and golden steel, looking expensive and authoritative, and there are a few people in there despite it being late in the evening by now.

Chinen makes a small impressed sound, and Hikaru smiles. He's holding Chinen's hand, just in case.

Then things happen in a matter of seconds.

“Hey!” Someone calls, someone else reacts, and suddenly Hikaru finds himself at gunpoint once again.

There are two men in black suits pointing their guns at them where they stand just inside the entrance, and he sees the receptionists quickly speak into their phones, the people who were walking across the room suddenly backing away, all faces scared or set.

He hears a rustle and then metal next to him, and turns to look at Yabu with his gun drawn, steadily aimed at one of the men pointing a gun at him.

“Don't move.” Says one of the men in black, looking like he's thinking hard about the procedures he's supposed to follow in a situation like this, and Hikaru hears people moving at several of the entrances to the lobby.

“If his father comes to get him, we won't.” Yabu says calmly, and Hikaru glances back at his face, finding his expression calm but determined, no trace of that scary expression he'd seen earlier.

Chinen holds onto Hikaru's hand, taking a step closer to him, but he doesn't come off as afraid this time, only a little anxious.

There are some talking among the policemen, several more rushing in, and Hikaru stands right where he is, knowing better than to interfere with whatever Yabu is planning right now. He looks around at everyone staring at them, sees their wide eyes go from Hikaru to Yabu to Chinen, the most common expression seeming to be confusion. Hikaru smiles back at those who look at him, which doesn't appear to clear any confusion at all.

They probably don't look like kidnappers, he thinks. If they were, they wouldn't walk in here after all. He's a little surprised the security isn't higher if he's honest, but figures it get worse the higher up in the building you get. This floor is a public place after all.

They're almost surrounded after just a minute, the entrance right behind them leaving the policemen in a half circle at a safe distance around them, and Hikaru hears the doors click in a way that indicates they're being automatically locked.

“He will be here.” A man in a grey suit at the back of the half circle says, and he doesn't look like the kind of man who works as a policeman, Hikaru thinks. He looks more like a business man that got a bit comfortable after a while in service.

“Then we'll wait.” Yabu replies, continuously looking around but keeps his gun pointed at one man. Hikaru wonders if it was a good idea to take out the gun, but figures they probably wouldn't still be standing here if Yabu hadn't.

He feels a tug at his sleeve and looks down at Chinen's uncertain expression. “I don't like this.”

“I don't, either.” Hikaru says quietly to match Chinen's tone, gently squeezing his hand. “But we'll be okay.”

A few excruciatingly long minutes go by, and Hikaru wonders how everyone manages to hold their guns so still. It must be rough on their arms.

Then there are running steps approaching, and Hikaru knows it's Chinen's father the second he sees him. They're not that alike, Chinen has more of his mother's softer features, but there's definitely a resemblance. Also, the man is not too tall.

He has a few important looking people running behind him, but he doesn't seem to care about them or the half circle of policemen blocking his way. It just makes Hikaru even more certain it's Chinen's father; only a parent can look that focused on finding their child.

“Yuri!” He calls as soon as he sees them, seeming to go even faster towards them.

“Dad!” Chinen calls back, sounding almost surprised. Hikaru has a feeling he's never seen his father with this lack of composure before, and for a moment he's uncertain if Chinen dares going to him. Then the little hand in his slips out.

Chinen's father pushes past the men with guns even though his followers stop short, holding his arms out a+s Chinen meets him halfway.

Hikaru smiles as he watches Chinen's father hug his son so tightly his knuckles pale, and he hopes that if something good comes out of this family crisis, it's that they grow closer. Chinen hugs him back, even though he seems a little uncertain of what he's allowed to do and it's cute.

It takes a few moments before Chinen's father lets go, but when he does, his eyes mean business as they go up to Yabu and Hikaru.

“Seize them.” He says, firmly, and there's immediate commotion around them.

Hikaru instinctively backs up against Yabu and grabs his arm, not wanting to be parted from him, while Yabu stands his ground with the gun still raised.

There are voices raised and Hikaru doesn't know where to look, squeezing tighter against Yabu when there's a man coming real close to him with that shiny weapon raised.

Then suddenly, there's someone calling out in surprise and all movement pauses, before guns are redirected and it takes Hikaru a moment to understand what's going on.

“Lower your weapons, idiots!” Chinen's father hisses, sounding almost panicked now, and Hikaru sees how they were aimed at the small figure standing a metre from his father, before they're lowered at the order. Again, the general expression is confusion.

Then the policemen back away slowly, and Hikaru gapes as he sees Chinen holding a gun that must be his father's in his small, slightly trembling hands. It's aimed at his father.

“I said you can't take them.” He says, his voice sounding small as he looks straight at his father, who appears about as shocked as Hikaru feels.

“Yuri, put that down.” Chinen's father says, clearly an attempt at calm but he can't quite cover the nerves in his tone, his face a little pale.

“No! You have to listen to me for once!” Chinen tells him angrily, almost like he's about to burst out crying in a minute and Hikaru wants to cry with him. “You can't take them. We're going on a camping trip. They promised.”

Chinen's father just stares at his son, then looks up at Yabu and Hikaru like he actually sees them for the first time.

“... Camping trip?” He repeats faintly, sounding like he doesn't understand the concept at all, then glances at Chinen holding the gun, clearly noting his technique and as far as Hikaru can see, it's correct.

“They promised. So you can't take them.” Chinen repeats, his voice starting to break a little, and Hikaru can't stop himself.

“We did promise.” Hikaru speaks up, and he feels Yabu's eyes on him. “We don't want anything besides that. We're just happy he's back where he belongs.”

Chinen's father keeps looking between his son and the two supposed kidnappers, then turns to exchange glances with those around him, but nobody seems to have any idea what to do.

Chinen breaks into tears finally, sobbing quietly but he's still holding the gun, and Hikaru wants to hug him so bad.

“Chi, it's okay.” He says, because even if he doesn't dare stepping forward, he wants to help somehow. “We'll be okay.”

Chinen looks over his shoulder at them before he nods, reaching up with one sleeve to wipe his eyes, and there's a moment of silence as he sets the weapon down on the floor.

“I'll give you ten minutes.” Chinen's father finally speaks up, his voice firm and determined.

“Sounds good to me.” Yabu agrees, and Hikaru is not entirely sure what that means, but he trusts Yabu.

“From now.”

Yabu immediately lowers his gun and kneels. “Chi. We're going now.”

Chinen's eyes are red and swollen and Hikaru is so tired of seeing him like this, but then he runs up to Yabu even though his father reflexively tries to stop him, slinging his small arms around Yabu's neck in a final hug.

Hikaru leans down for his turn, hearing Chinen's sniffs in his ear as he holds that small body tight. “We'll see you, okay?” He whispers, and Chinen nods. “We'll come get you when Yama-chan's back too.”

Chinen nods again, then lets go with a faint smile, and Hikaru smiles back, hearing the doors click again.

Then his wrist is grabbed by Yabu, who drags him out the door and they start running towards the train station.

 

~*~

 

Hikaru turns another page in the weekly fashion magazine he's taken up the habit of reading, pondering whether he should get a blue jacket. It would probably look good with his new auburn hairstyle. He's having caffe latte and chocolate cake, since it takes the longest to eat, and he chose his favourite table as usual. He's become quite accustomed to this place now, after something like five or six visits. The staff knows him, one girl even jokingly scolded him for being late last week when he arrived ten minutes past four.

It's nice, having his cake and reading the magazine takes about an hour, and he doesn't mind spending an hour at a café every Sunday. He doesn't hope for too much, but he still comes. If he said he would, he will be here.

He's so into an article about neon colours that he nearly jumps out of his skin when there's suddenly a small metal item being laid on the shiny table surface just next to his magazine.

His natural reaction would be to look up at the presence he senses behind him, but instead he ends up staring at the little golden sun on a thin chain while his hand automatically goes up to his bare collarbone since he still hasn't gotten used to being without a necklace. Then he spins around so quickly he almost gets dizzy, looking up to face Yamada's knowing dark eyes and raised eyebrow.

“Hey.” He says, voice low and smooth just like normal, nothing like the frenzied screaming for them to leave like he last heard. “I know you said my smile is radiant as the sun, but I'm guessing that still wasn't intended as a present.”

 

~*~

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

Chinen looks out the window of the car as his father drives, sees the landscape change from city to nature rapidly. He doesn't think a car ride has ever felt as long as this one, feels like he can't sit still and he just wants to _get there_ already.

“Are you sure about this?” His father asks for about the tenth time today, and Chinen rolls his eyes.

“ _Yes_. Stop asking.” He says, crossing his arms.

“If you're not back at this time tomorrow I'm sending out helicopters, do you hear me?” His father goes on, and Chinen sighs.

“They won't hurt me.” He says for the hundredth time since this first came up.

He'd never gotten a letter addressed to himself that wasn't from any of his grandparents before. It was Hikaru's handwriting, he could tell from the envelope, recognizing it from the letter they wrote to Yamada. So he tore it open to read, then showed it to his father, who first blatantly refused, and Chinen had to take to all possible measures for it to happen.

He was going on that camping trip. It was a promise.

“I'm still sending out helicopters.” His father insists, and Chinen doesn't reply.

He was made to tell the story about what happened those days so many times after he came back home. To his father, to several other people who wrote it down and recorded and did all kinds of things with it, to the point where he got sick of talking about it. They kept asking about things he didn't want to talk about too, like the name of “the men that took him” and things like that. So he only said the names they'd used even though his father kept trying and trying to make him say full names. It's not like Chinen's stupid. He knows what his dad wants to do, and if they go to jail, there will be no camping trip.

He's seen a psychologist too, has to meet her every week still. She keeps making him tell everything again and again, but she's nice, not like the others. She doesn't try to make him say all the bad things that happened, but listens to all of it. That he got to eat cream bread every day. And buy a pink shirt.

Things he could never do at home.

He doesn't fit into the pink shirt anymore, but he got to buy a new one with his grandmother. He likes pink, and no matter what his father says, he can wear it. Boys can wear pink too.

He dares talking back to his father these days. Back then, he only talked to him through his mother, but he's not afraid of his father anymore. He's sure his father doesn't like it, but Chinen's sick of him deciding everything he can or can't do.

So he threw the tantrum of his lifetime, screaming and then the silence method and he even refused to eat, until his father agreed to let him go on the camping trip. On conditions, that were argued back and forth until Chinen was satisfied and his father accepted it.

“I can't believe I'm doing this.” His father mutters under his breath, and Chinen doesn't say anything.

Gorilla in the back seat does though. “It'll be okay chief. It's a secured area, they can't get anywhere.”

“They could if they wanted to!” Chinen turns in his seat to glare at the security man who looks like a gorilla. Big and stupid.

“Yuri, don't.” His father sighs, and Chinen reluctantly drops it. “I just don't want to lose you again, and I'm not at all fine with letting my 12-year-old out into the woods with three men I don't know.”

“I know them.” Chinen argues, even though not as fiercely since he senses his father's lowered guard.

“I hope so.” His father says quietly, then sighs again. “God I hope so.”

They finally, finally arrive and Chinen sees the three of them as they pull up at the parking lot, almost wanting to jump out the door before the car has even stopped.

They look different, all of them, he thinks as he watches them talk to each other on the other side of his shaded window. Hikaru's hair is not blonde anymore, some kind of reddish brown, but he still looks like himself. His teeth are still as crooked and he's wearing his yellow scarf with a blue jacket. It doesn't match, but Hikaru somehow just isn't meant to match.

Yabu looks happier, Chinen thinks, even though he's not smiling. There's just not that annoyed, sort of scary frown on his face anymore. Yamada looks happier too, but Chinen is just so happy to see him being okay that he feels like a soda can exploded inside him and his whole body is bubbling.

As soon as the car stops he undoes his belt and leaps out the door, not caring about his packing or anything as he runs towards them.

“Hey Chi!” Hikaru sees him first, grinning widely as Chinen's easy decision is to hug him first. He smells exactly the same if a little more detergent, safe and earthy and Hikaru. “Shit you grew, didn't you?”

“3 inches.” Chinen tells him proudly because that he did. He's not planning on being tiny forever.

“Damn.” Hikaru laughs, then lets him go in favour of letting him greet the others too.

Yabu holds his arms out next, and Chinen almost tackles him as he wraps arms around him and his face gets squished in Yabu's shirt.

“Hi.” Yabu says quietly, and Chinen mumbles hi back into the soft knit material covering Yabu's sternum. There was always something about Yabu that felt most like a parent, and he still feels that. Like Yabu is his second father in a way.

When he lets go of Yabu, he throws himself at Yamada, not caring about that Yamada probably doesn't want to be hugged. He's much softer than he used to be, Chinen notes, since he's wearing a normal black jacket with nothing strange underneath.

“You're soft now.” He says out loud, and he hears Hikaru laugh and say something about Yamada gaining weight now that he can't run, which he's clearly slapped for. But Chinen mostly listens to the heartbeat inside Yamada's chest as he holds on to him for a moment longer, thinking that Hikaru was right. Yamada was fine.

He hears footsteps behind him and turns around to see his father approach along with Gorilla, who's carrying his packing.

His father stops right before them, a reluctant look on his face as he glances from one face to another.

“I don't like this.” He says out loud, and Hikaru grins.

“It's okay, we'll take care of him.” He says, and Chinen sees that his father doesn't seem to be able to get a grip around Hikaru. But then again, his father isn't very good at people who aren't made by the rulebook.

Chinen feels a hand on his shoulder, and it's not huge so he knows it must be Yamada, whom his father turns to look at for a long moment. 'The one I never saw' he usually says about Yamada, and now that he looks at him, he seems so confused Chinen has to laugh.

“Are you... Yamada?” He asks, raising an eyebrow, and Chinen looks up to see Yamada watching his father, seeming mostly unimpressed.

“At your service.” He says, but he doesn't sound serious at all, and Chinen's father frowns in dislike before clearly deciding not to pick that fight, instead turning back to Yabu.

“I'll have you searched for weapons before you go.” He says, and Chinen rolls his eyes, a little ashamed of his father. “And if you're not back here exactly this time tomorrow I'm sending out helicopters. And dogs.”

“Yes sir.” Hikaru says happily, and Chinen laughs out loud at how disgruntled his father looks about that.

Chinen does hug him before they go though, promising him to stay safe.

It's the best camping trip Chinen's ever had, and that's not just because it's his first real one. They're having fun, Hikaru and Yamada continuously bickering, but in another way than Chinen's used to. Like they're actual friends now, and not whatever they were before.

Yabu steers about the important things, like where the tent is supposed to be and who's lighting the fire, which Chinen gets to help with.

He also gets to go look for wood with Yamada, who apparently has some difficulties walking, but it just makes him a bit slower than he should have been.

They have so much more food this time than last, meat and vegetables and Chinen eats until he doesn't think he can get another bite anywhere near his mouth. But then there's cream bread, and he can't say no to cream bread.

“So how are you doing these days?” Hikaru asks after it's already dark and they're sitting around the fire, lazily grilling marshmallows. They didn't have much opportunity to talk about other things than what they were doing during the day, and Chinen can't wait to ask about them, finally. “Is your dad all right?”

“Mostly.” Chinen makes a face. “He nags. But I can do more things that I want now.”

“Yeah?” Yabu asks, quickly pulling his marshmallow out as it catches fire. “Like what?”

“I'm learning how to shoot.” Chinen says proudly, which is one of the things it took him longest to nag his father into. His father tried to get out of him why he knew so much about guns, but Chinen just said that he wanted to learn. In the end, there was a self-defence argument that won out.

“What, really?” Yamada asks while laughing at Yabu's disgruntled face at his half-black marshmallow. “I can't believe it.”

“Also, I can go to friend's houses after school.” Chinen goes on, trying to remember all the things he can do now that he couldn't before. “And sometimes, dad and I have hot chocolate even though it's evening.”

Hikaru smiles widely at that, putting another white floof on his stick. “That. Sounds great.”

“What do you do?” Chinen asks, because it's not fair if he's the only one talking.

Hikaru groans like he didn't want to be reminded and leans on Yabu's shoulder for a moment because he's closest. "I had to go see my parents."

"Don't you like them?" Chinen frowns, because he didn't think Hikaru disliked anyone.

"No, they're just... I'm their baby you know? I have three siblings older than me, so they always act all overprotective. That's why I kind of related to you there when your dad wouldn't let you do anything." Hikaru explains, and Chinen makes a face thinking about anyone considering Hikaru a baby. "And so one of my dad's friends recognized me at the police office aaand I was screwed."

"Wait. … Who is your dad exactly?" Yabu asks, sounding surprised and suspicious, but not that frightening kind of suspicious like he used to.

"He's a lawyer." Hikaru says casually, and Chinen doesn't think there's anything strange about that, but Yabu and Yamada exchange a glance that makes him feel like he's missing out again. "An expensive one, and quite strict and grumpy too."

"... Yaotome?" Yabu repeats, expression disbelieving, and Chinen doesn't get it.

"What? What's special?" He asks, frowning and looks around to see if any of their faces tells him something.

Yamada smiles and shakes his head, so Chinen focuses on him. "I'm pretty sure your dad and Hikaru's dad know each other. Didn't he work with the government?"

"Yep. Super important and top secret and so on." Hikaru agrees with a careless shrug, then burns his tongue on the marshmallow he tries to eat. "Ouch!"

Chinen laughs because it looks funny, but he still doesn't understand what the fuzz is about. His father knows a lot of important people.

"Did... They kick you out? Or why... Are you like this?" Yabu asks, seeming confused, and Hikaru makes a second attempt to eat the marshmallow but smiles at Yabu's description.

"Nah, I left. They forced me through university though, which was interesting, I must admit. And I met Keito, we got real close there. But enough is enough when it comes to books you know?" He says, looking up from his sticky stick. "So after I told them I didn't want to work a suit job, my dad got really pissed. So I just threw in that I liked boys too, while I was at it, then I packed a bag and left. Best decision ever."

“And you're okay now?” Yamada asks sceptically, shifting his weight where he sits. “That sounds like something that tears apart families forever. At least in dramas.”

“Sure, we're okay. My mom likes me too much to be mad at me, and I'm not mad at them so.” Hikaru smiles. “Besides, my older brothers already have kids so who cares if I don't.”

Yamada nods like Hikaru has a point, and Chinen frowns. He's never really heard about someone liking boys before, and he can't quite connect it to why Hikaru couldn't have children. He's a good dad, after all. Better than Chinen's own.

"What... What is that degree you have, exactly?" Yabu asks slowly, watching Hikaru with mild disbelief.

"Dad obviously wanted me to go to law school, but do you know how boring that was?" Hikaru asks, and Chinen files away that information. Never go to law school. "So I quit and did psychology instead."

Yamada actually laughs, and Chinen frowns because he doesn't get this either.

"What's so funny?" He asks, because he wants to understand.

"You're a psychology graduate?" Yamada asks Hikaru, still smiling like he can't believe it and completely ignoring Chinen's question, which is rude but it's okay. "That's... So unexpected but still so obvious."

"What, what did you think I did?" Hikaru asks, but he sounds mostly interested, spearing another marshmallow.

“I don't know, something vague, like art or whatever." Yamada shrugs, and Hikaru laughs.

“Yeah I guess that's reasonable. But nah, I got mostly into vagueness when Keito and I went off to travel without a goal, honestly.” He says, smiling with a little sparkle in his eyes like he enjoys surprising them. “Anyway, what do you guys do? Yabu-chan, how's your nasty secret of a cat?”

“She's fine, thank you.” Yabu laughs and Hikaru makes an uncomfortable face, while Chinen's surprised to hear Yabu has a cat. But he doesn't have time to ask about that before Yabu goes on.

“I quit my salaryman job. Actually...” He pauses to laugh at himself, and Chinen tilts his head wondering what the irony is. “I'm helping out at a preschool.”

“I knew it!” Hikaru punches the ground and then points at Yabu. “It's your divine calling.”

Yamada just rolls his eyes but grins, and when the silence stretches a few seconds, Chinen reaches over to nudge him with his stick, finally asking what he's been lying awake at night wondering. “How did you get out?”

Yamada's smile falters at the question, like he didn't expect it, but Chinen doesn't regret asking.

“... Yuto helped me.” He says slowly, and Chinen has an unpleasant flashback of black shining eyes and a mocking smile. “He got me out and helped me to a mutual friend who's brother is a doctor. So they helped me with... Getting some blood back and such. I'm still healing, I hope.”

“But it's been really long.” Chinen comments, thinking that wounds normally heal after a few weeks, and it's already April. It's been months.

“Yeah, but this is a deep one, so it's like... there are some nerves still trying to find each other.” Yamada explains, but Chinen doesn't really get it. Biology isn't his favourite subject, but he trusts Yamada is right.

“As long as you'll be okay.” Chinen decides, and Yamada smiles and agrees softly.

“... No one's been trying to find you?” Yabu asks, his voice low as it gets when he talks about serious things, and Chinen turns to watch Yamada's expression.

“They did, at first.” Yamada sighs, looking like he doesn't want to talk about that. “But in the end, Daiki became the new leader and... We go way back, so his last favour for me was to forget me, I guess.”

Chinen thinks about that for a moment, and even though he doesn't know who Daiki is, it seems weird for friends to forget each other. But he knows that Yamada couldn't stay there, he never wanted him to either. So it would all be for the best anyway. “So what do you do now?”

“Nothing, yet. Healing.” Yamada says with another sigh. “I'll see what happens, I guess.”

There's a silence following that, and it feels a little uncomfortable, Yabu looking like he wants to say something but isn't sure he should, and in the end, Hikaru does what he does best.

“Okay everyone.” He speaks up to break the tension, then rises to head for the tent. “This is the moment you've all been waiting for. Time for guitar.”

It makes Yabu laugh and Chinen watches with interest as Hikaru returns with the instrument. He still can't play, but he enjoys watching Hikaru do it just as much. Music is nice.

“What songs do you know, come on. We have to sing together.” Hikaru urges, and Yamada looks absolutely mortified, which makes Yabu laugh louder.

In the end, they find a few classic songs that they all know, and even Yamada joins in to sing, followed by Hikaru abruptly pausing the playing to call Yamada on being really good, saying that they have to go to karaoke sometime. It makes Yamada blush, and Yabu laughs and points out that's a first, which makes Yamada complain that he's never singing with either of them again. But then he does anyway, and they all sound good together, Chinen thinks.

It's really late when they finally go to sleep, and Chinen falls asleep squished in between Yabu and Yamada, and it's been a long time since he felt this safe. Just before he slips into dreams, he decides that this has to become a tradition.

 

~*~*~

 

END

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, here goes. First, thank you so much for sticking around and reading this. Not sure if I would have kept posting it without you guys. I would never have clicked this fanfiction myself, since it's a chapterfic with no pairings and a shitty summary, but I'm so happy some people did. I've really enjoyed hearing your thoughts after all chapters (and occasionally laughing to myself when you were right and occasionally panicking because I didn't think of things you were asking about).
> 
> And if anyone reads the whole thing later, please tell me what you thought too.
> 
>  
> 
> Second, I can't believe I actually managed to finish this, after having had the idea for almost ten years (holy shit it really is almost ten years where did time go), and then started writing it just after getting into Jump two years ago. Thanks mayonaka no shadow boy pv for making me finally write this haha.
> 
>  
> 
> And third and final, I'm sure you want to know what story you just read, and I'm going to tell you if you promise to still be able to take this fic seriously:
> 
>  
> 
> It's Ice Age haha. Yep, the animated children's movie. It started out as a cracky visual kei fic idea, to make it into a human setting with three reluctant guys having to take care of an annoying kid, which we had a laugh about all those years ago. Then I half-consciously kept that idea, thinking it'd be cool to make something serious and kind of adult out of it. And then there was that PV, and I was all OH. MY. GOD. This is it. I knew barely anything about Jump back then because I was still in learning phase, but decided I had to give it a go anyway, it was AU.
> 
>  
> 
> Then I was stuck for like half a year after chapter 9 because I had no idea how to adapt the end of my story in a good way, and I have obviously heavily modified the storyline, but I think you'll find the main pivotal points from the original are there. And yes, if I didn't have an original to go by, I would have killed off one of the main characters. Instead I made a happy ending, so let's everyone be happy about that. (No, I am never writing a sequel, if anyone ever wanted to suggest that)
> 
>  
> 
> I could rant for a long time about the difficulties of adapting this plot, like Chinen being old enough to talk and understand so I had to make up 500 believable excuses, and all the travelling having to be made somehow, nobody finding them too easily (did anyone think about what time period this is set in?? Because I made sure never to mention cell phones or internet or credit cards, hoping nobody would consider that strange haha), and fitting in all the characters I wanted. Originally, I didn't even have Inoo and Keito actually appearing in the story anywhere, but figured I could use them.
> 
> But, I won't go on for too long about all that. I just hope you're all surprised to learn what the inspiration was because I was so convinced it was obvious the first few chapters heh.
> 
>  
> 
> Again, thank you all for reading, I love you so much and I'm happy I made something you enjoyed. And I hope I answered most of your questions with this final chapter xD <3


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